Abra top execs hit CIDG on poll-related cases, slay

By Karlston Lapniten and Freddie Lazaro

BANGUED, Abra – Rep. Joseph Sto. Nino Bernos and Gov. Maria Jocelyn Valera-Bernos sought the intervention of the Commission on Elections to issue a cease and desist order  against the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group for alleged involvement in cases linked to political personalities in the province.

In a petition filed Thursday at the Comelec office in Bangued town, the Bernoses claimed “undue and bias” involvement of the CIDG provincial office citing five incidents, annexed with evidential photographs and affidavits.

Rep. Bernos is the brother-in-law of Gov. Bernos, whose husband La Paz town mayor Israel was killed in 2006. Both are seeking re-election.

Citing the Criminal Investigation Manual of Philippine National Police, the complainants said the municipal police have jurisdiction over the events and were already on active investigation.

“Despite that, the office of the CIDG Abra is dipping its hands on matters already beyond its jurisdiction,” the Bernoses claimed.

In the latest incident, dated April 29, which the complainants claimed the personal involvement of congressional bet Victoria Seares-Corpus, wife of CIDG Director Maj. Gen. Amador Corpus.

“It is not far-fetched imagination to arrive at the conclusion that the CIDG Abra Provincial Office is being used for political end,” said the petition.

The first incident was on January when village councilor (barangay kagawad) Jayron Martinez and Brix Donato, following police investigation, filed a criminal charge against Fernando Blaza Jr and Rowel Escalante for an ambush in Collago village, Lagayan town.

After three days, Blaza and Escalante also filed criminal against Martinez and Donato using documents endorsed by the CIDG.

In the same village on April 18, village chief Dominador Cardenas led a shooting assault on a group of youth resulting to one death and one injured.

While the legal counsel for the victims, lawyer Estelita Cordero, was at the police station, a man claiming to be from the CIDG accordingly pressed her to identify her name and address.

On April 23, 10 CIDG personnel were also spotted allegedly conducting a separate probe in the ambush of village chief Walter Tugadi of Budac, Tayum town by mayoralty candidate Joey Brillantes, whilst the police were conducting investigation.

On the same day, a CIDG personnel accordingly requested documents relative to the ambush at the Tayum Municipal Police Office.

Three days later, CIDG personnel were also present in the search of the abandoned vehicle involved in the shooting which yielded two M4 assault rifles, an M16 assault rifle, two Para Ordnance 45 caliber pistols, an STI Edge 45 caliber pistol, and over a hundred different bullets.

The vehicle was registered to Daisy Madriaga, the Secretary of the Municipal Council of Lagayan town.

The last straw was on April 29 when Gov. Bernos was conducting a meeting with supporters in Laang village, Lagangilang town.

Petitioners said several men wearing CIDG markings arrived at the venue armed with long rifles followed by four vehicles, which proceeded to block the exit points of the venue.

In a separate affidavit, Gov. Bernos claimed the vehicles carried Dolores town mayor Robert Seares Jr., who will challenge the former’s re-election attempt.

Seares was accordingly accompanied by his brother, Dolores mayoralty bet Ronald, his aunt Seares-Corpus, his cousin Ryan Luna; as well as “several men with faces half covered.”

Cong. Bernos said he received two letters and photographs from Cordero, dated April 26 and 29, corroborating the events in Lagayan and Tayum.

Maj. Gen. Corpus is the lone exemption in the pre-election reshuffling of the PNP, despite his wife’s candidacy.

PNP chief General Oscar Albayalde on Wednesday stood by Maj. Gen. Corpus’ retention stating the latter knows the non-partisan policy of the PNP and the consequences of meddling with his wife’s political agenda.

Comelec declared the entire province of Abra, along with the whole of Mindanao and the towns of Jones, Isabela and Lope de Vega, Northern Samar, as Category Red, the highest stage among the Election Hotspots.

Abra has a long history of intense political rivalries between clans which have resulted to killings of politicians and their supporters.

Earlier, police seized assault rifles, three pistols, and ammunition from the campaign vehicle of a Tayum mayoralty candidate Jose Mari Brilliantes and his group April 26.

Armed with a court order, police officers confiscated two M4 assault rifles, an M16 assault rifle, two Para Ordnance Cal. 45  pistols and STI Edge 45 caliber pistol, and over a hundred rounds of ammunition from the Ford Ranger pick-up truck abandoned by  Brilliantes and his group.

Brillantes and his supporters reportedly shot at Budac Barangay Chairman Walter Tugadi and his group on April 23.

Before the shooting, Brillantes and his group reportedly went to the house of Tugadi, but found only Tugadi’s partner, Zenaida Barcena.

Barcena claimed she was threatened by Brillantes, prompting her to call Tugadi, who was heading home.

Brillantes reportedly caught up with Tugadi’s group. Following a confrontation Brillantes and his supporters allegedly fired at Tugadi’s vehicle, hitting barangay tanod Alvin Padagas, 23, in the right thigh.

Brillantes and his group then fled, leaving behind the pick-up truck, which had no plates and was registered under a certain Daisy Madriaga.

Echave was treated at the Seares Hospital in Bangued Abra and was later discharged. Padagas was still confined at Abra Provincial Hospital (APH).

The Toyota vehicle of Tugadi’s group reportedly bore six bullet holes and crime scene probers found twenty-eight spent shells of cal. 45 and eleven spent shells of caliber 5.56 assault rifles.

Brillantes and his group, who are now facing criminal charges including illegal possession of firearms and violation of the Comelec gun ban, have not surfaced.

Gov. Valera-Bernos, condemned the skirmish between the two groups while pleading before policemen, the military and Criminal Investigation and Detection Group agents stationed in the province to avoid getting partisan with political rivalries in the province.

“We especially call out against those ignoring the election gun ban flaunting protection from a high-ranking police official,”  Bernos said.

Rep. Bernos also questioned the professionalism of the CIDG personnel stationed in the province and said, “Bakit nilipat naba ang headquarters ng CIDG sa Abra?” referring to the deployment of at least 27 agents of the National Support Unit (NSU) in Abra and the reported stay of another top-ranked CIDG official in the province.

One of Bernos’ opponents in the congressional race is Vicky Seares-Corpuz, wife of CIDG director Police Maj. Gen. Amador Corpuz, and aunt of gubernatorial bet Robert Victor “JR” Seares.

Another congressional bet is Seares’ cousin Dreirei Luna-Ifurung.

On orders of Regional Trial Court branch 22 acting Executive Judge Gina Juan Chan in Narvacan, Ilocos Sur.

Meanwhile, a police report said personnel of Tayum Municipal Police Station; CIDG, Abra; Regional Legal Office; and 1501st Maneuver Force Company, RMFB15; and members of the AFP implemented the search warrant against Brilliantes, 27 for illegal firearms afternoon of April 26.