Valera arraignment deferred anew

The Quezon City Regional Trial Court (RTC) postponed for the second time the arraignment of Abra Gov. Vicente Valera who is facing charges of illegal possession of firearms, after his lawyer filed a motion to quash the charges filed against the governor.

Judge Ramon Cruz of RTC branch 223 reset the arraignment on March 13 after Valera’s counsel Rowena Flores asked the judge to consolidate the four separate criminal charges filed in separate courts against the governor.

Cruz asked Flores why the arraignment should be postponed when it was already scheduled and the motions she had filed were already scheduled for deliberations during the start of trial on Feb. 16.

Flores argued that the arraignment is premature since they have several pending motions. She cited Supreme Court rulings to support her argument. Cruz postponed the arraignment and told Prosecutor Robert Senson to submit his comment on Valera’s motions.

Last Jan. 22, Judge Tita Villordon of RTC branch 224, where separate charges of illegal possession of firearms were filed against Valera, also granted the motion of the governor to postpone the arraignment.

Aside from the charges of illegal possession of firearms and explosives, Valera was also implicated in the alleged assassination plot on Abra Rep. Luis Bersamin. Bersamin was shot dead together with one of his bodyguards on Dec. 16, 2006 at the Mt. Carmel Church in New Manila, Quezon City, where the congressman and his family had just attended the wedding of his niece.

Members of the Philippine National Police Traffic Management Group (TMG) later arrested Valera and two bodyguards along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City last Dec. 29.

After weeks in hiding following the murder of Bersamin, the governor and his bodyguards were held by the TMG for allegedly using an unregistered vehicle, a brand-new Chevrolet Suburban sports utility vehicle, and for unauthorized use of sirens. The policemen later found assorted firearms and a grenade in the vehicle.

Charges of illegal possession of firearms and explosives were filed against Valera, who was detained for several days at Camp Crame in Quezon City. But the governor was later released after posting more than P300,000 bail at the Quezon City RTC.

Prosecutors have also sought from the court a hold-departure order to prevent the governor from slipping out of the country.