Suspect in murder of Abra congressman arrested in Rizal

One of the three suspects in the murder of Abra Rep. Luis Bersamin Jr. was arrested in a farm in Baras, Rizal yesterday morning.

Forty-one-year-old Sonny Taculao, who allegedly drove the getaway motorcycle used in the murder of Bersamin, was arrested at around 8 a.m. yesterday by elements of the Regional Intelligence and Investigation Division, Rizal police and 481st Provincial Mobile Group.

The arresting team carried a warrant of arrest against Taculao issued by Judge Lydia Layosa of Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 217, for the murder and frustrated murder charges filed against him in connection with the ambush-slay of Bersamin and his bodyguard, SPO1 Adelfo Ortega.

Recovered from Taculao was a caliber .45 pistol, which will be subjected to ballistic examination to determine if it was the same gun used in killing Bersamin inside the compound of the Mt. Carmel Church in New Manila, Quezon City on Dec. 16, 2006.

Senior Superintendent Freddie Osorio Panen, Rizal police director, said that at the time of the raid, Taculao was alone in his hideout.

Panen said they were able to pinpoint Taculao’s hideout with the help of a police informant.

“We had an asset who tipped us off that the suspect was hiding in Baras,” Panen told The STAR.

The Rizal police coordinated with other police units and conducted surveillance on Taculao’s hideout.

Panen said they discovered during the stakeout that also in Taculao’s hideout was another suspect in the Bersamin killing, former La Paz, Abra vice mayor Freddie Dupo.

“He (Dupo) was not there when the raid was conducted. But there is now a manhunt for (him),” Panen said.

Panen said Taculao will be brought to the Cordillera police headquarters for “tactical interrogation.”

Last April, the Quezon City court ordered the arrest of three suspects, including Dupo, for the murder of Bersamin and Ortega.

Task Force Bersamin spokesman Senior Superintendent Benjamin de los Santos said the Quezon City RTC Branches 215, 216 and 217 on Friday issued the warrants against Dupo and former Constable Salvador Barbosa. No bail was recommended.

De los Santos said the charges included two counts of murder. The three suspects were also charged with frustrated murder for the wounding of Bersamin’s driver, Allan Sawadan and a 13-year-old parking attendant at Mt. Carmel.

The three suspects are nephews of former Army Sgt. Rufino Panday, who confessed that he acted as a lookout in the killing.

Panday also claimed that Dupo had told him that then Abra governor Vicente Valera allegedly provided P5 million to carry out the murder.

Panday later retracted his confession but police have physical evidence that he was the one who purchased the getaway motorcycle vehicle that was recovered hours after Bersamin and his driver were shot dead.

Panday said Valera allegedly first gave them P500,000 for the job and that he got P100,000 as initial share for acting as the lookout and for buying the getaway vehicle.

Valera has denied having masterminded the killing of Bersamin.