Recaptured NBP inmate owns up to lawyer's slay

By Charlie Lagasca

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya  – A recaptured murder convict of the National Bilibid Prison has owned up to the killing of a human rights lawyer here two years ago.

Chief Supt. Rodrigo de Gracia, Cagayan Valley police director, said Rommel Laciste, who was recaptured in Isabela August 26, confessed he was the gunman in the killing of human rights lawyer Ernesto Salunat.

Salunat, former Northern Luzon governor of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, was the campaign manager of the Liberal Party in the last elections here.

He was shot dead on the morning of June 22, 2010 in front of the municipal trial court in Solano town this province.

Laciste’s escape was discovered on Aug. 15 or hours after road rage killer Rolito Go resurfaced after an overnight disappearance, claiming he was kidnapped by unidentified men.

“His (Laciste’s) confession would help us further identify the brains behind the killing of Atty. Salunat to eventually pay for their crimes,” De Gracia said.

In his sworn statement, De Gracia said, Laciste said he was hired by a former judge here to eliminate Salunat for P100,000.

Laciste, however, did not identify the former judge.

Laciste also named a certain Aries Valentine, who served as his driver and point man in Salunat’s killing

Laciste said he was already locked up at the Isabela provincial jail for the 2006 killing of Concepcion Lumanglas, the assistant provincial probation officer, but was set loose temporarily by a prison guard, one Judy Celestino, to carry out the hit job.    

With the help of the jail guard, Laciste said in his extra-judicial confession before lawyer Ronald Brillantes, that he was able to go in and out of jail at least four times to undertake “dirty jobs.”

Laciste was serving a life term for Lumanglas’ slay when he escaped from the NBP’s maximum security compound, saying he took a ride on a shipping container going in and out of the national penitentiary.

Earlier, Laciste claimed that he escaped along with Go and three other Filipino-Chinese inmates, with the help of some NBP personnel, who were supposedly paid P2 million.

He, however, recanted his statement a day after. This time, he alleged that a politician in Isabela helped him liquidate a rival politician. 

Laciste, who hails from San Mariano, Isabela, had also been tagged in a string of criminal cases, including the killing of a farmer and a tricycle driver and robberies.

Laciste was recaptured by local police in Barangay Surcoc, Naguilian, Isabela morning of August 26 or 10 days after his supposedly orchestrated escape from the NBP.