Two more Bersamin killing suspects arrested

By Ronron
October 23, 2007

Two more suspects in the killing of former Abra Congressman Luis Bersamin, Jr. were recently arrested by police in Rizal province, although officials still refuse to consider the case as solved already.

The two – Sonny Taculao and Freddie Dupo – complete the four subjects of a warrant of arrest issued by Judge Lydia Layosa of the Regional Trial Court 4th Judicial Region in Quezon City for the crime of murder and frustrated murder in relation to the Bersamin killing case.

Deputy Director General Reynaldo Varilla, Deputy Chief for Operations of the Philippine National Police, said Taculao was first arrested at around 4am of October 21 at the boundary of Baras town and Antipolo City in Rizal.

Dupo followed suit later on October 22 at 9:30 am at Sitio Kilingan, Barangay Paenaan in Antipolo City during a follow up operation.

Task Force Bersamin commander Director Edgardo Doromal, incumbent chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), said Dupo, who was a former vice mayor of La Paz town in Abra, was allegedly responsible for the recruitment of other suspects, including Taculao, in carrying out the plan against Bersamin.

Another suspect, former Army Sergeant Rufino Panday, who was arrested days after the December 16 killing, had earlier made this claim about Dupo, based on a police statement at that time.

Panday also said then that Taculao drove the getaway motorcycle after the incident, while the gunman was Dominador Barbosa, also known as Salvador. Barbosa was earlier killed by policemen out to arrest him.

Asked if the Bersamin case is already solved, Varilla said: “Well, despite this development, we all know that we are still running after some suspects. We still have not accounted for all suspects, the John Does in the arrest warrant. So the Task Force Bersamin will continue working on this.”

According to Charie Bersamin, the eldest child of the slain solon, they can only consider the case closed if their suspected mastermind, former Abra Governor Vicente Valera, is also charged and arrested.

Doromal claimed that Taculao and Dupo have so far not implicated Valera in the case.

For tactical interrogation purposes, Taculao and Dupo will remain under the custody of the CIDG before they will be turned over to the court that issued the arrest warrant against them.

Bersamin and his police bodyguard, SPO1 Adelfo Ortega, were shot dead late afternoon of December 16, 2006 at the Mt. Carmel Church in New Manila, Quezon City after attending the wedding of his niece.

His police escort, who fought it out against the suspect, sustained injuries./DMS