‘Murder raps a declaration of war against our family’

SAN FERNANDO, La Union — A daughter of second district Rep. Tomas Dumpit scored the murder charges filed against her father and two siblings in connection with the killing of the election supervisor of Bauang town, saying they constitute a "declaration of war (against) our family."

Thelma Dumpit Murillo, a media practitioner, said that although they welcome the case "to clear our name," it is "a grand desire to demolish my father’s name."

"This is a declaration of war (against) our family and we will fight it," she said in a taped interview aired over dzNL Aksyon Radyo here yesterday.

The STAR contacted the congressman’s office yesterday but one of his staffers said that he was unavailable.

This reporter also sent a text message to his son Butch but he did not respond.

Aside from father and son, also facing murder charges for the killing of Bauang election supervisor Felimon Asperin Jr. last Jan. 12 were Tess Dumpit Michelena; Caba Vice Mayor Clyde Crispino; Ares Alvarez Mato, the alleged gunman; Dominador Rentuma, driver of the getaway motorcycle; SPO1 Eduardo Banay, the congressman’s aide who allegedly provided the motorcycle used by the suspects; Renato Batoon, owner of Mato’s hideout; and Armen Mato, driver of the Tamaraw FX that fetched Rentuma and Mato from Michelena’s residence in Agoo town.

Murillo claimed that her father’s political rivals are using the case to destroy him because he plans to run for governor in the 2007 elections.

"Gusto po nila wholesale ang pagsira nila sa family namin. Mukhang nininerbiyos na ang mga kalaban niya sa pulitika (gayong) napakalayo pa ang election eh (They want to destroy our family wholesale. My father’s political rivals seem nervous although the election is still far)," she said.

Murillo criticized the task force that investigated Asperin’s killing for saying that the case is considered solved with the filing of the charges with the provincial prosecutor’s office.

"I would like to make it clear that this is still a charge and no warrant of arrest has been issued. The prosecutor will still determine if there is really a case. My father (together with the rest of the accused) is still free," she said.

The congressman and his son were tagged as the masterminds of the killing based on the affidavits of Ares Alvarez Mato and Rentuma.

The lawmaker was allegedly present during the negotiations between Mato and Butch, a former gubernatorial candidate.

Crispino was charged for allegedly providing a safehouse to Mato and Rentuma when they met with Banay before the killing.

Asperin was about to board his L-300 van in front of his office when he was gunned down at about 10:30 a.m. on Jan. 12.

Asperin’s assailant shot him in the head with a caliber .45 pistol, after which he escaped on a motorcycle driven by another man.

Weeks later, Rentuma surfaced, claiming that he was paid incorrectly for the dirty job, and revealed that the gunman had fled to South Cotabato.

Mato was finally arrested in Koronadal, South Cotabato last March 16 and alleged that Rep. Dumpit and his son masterminded Asperin’s murder.

Meanwhile, House Majority Leader Prospero Nograles said Rep. Dumpit has no choice but to defend himself in the murder case because the House cannot do anything to help him.

He, however, said Dumpit should be accorded due process and deemed innocent unless proven otherwise. — With Delon Porcalla