BANGUED, Abra -- The conviction of former
Abra Governor Vicente “Vicsyd” Valera, Wednesday for being the brains in the
murder of slain former Congressman Luis “Chito” Bersamin was hoped to put
closure to violent politics of the province even as families of the two
protagonists showed anguish and happiness over the court decision.
Valera, along with his co-accused
RufinoPanday and Leo Bello, were sentenced to reclusion perpetua ” (40 years
imprisonment) by Judge Roselyn Rabara-Tria of the Regional Trial Court Branch
94 in Quezon City for the gunslaying of Bersamin and his bodyguard, SPO1 Adelfo
Ortega, during a wedding at Mount Carmel Church in New Manila, Quezon City on
Dec. 16, 2006.
Valera, Panday, and Bello were also convicted
of frustrated murder for wounding Bersamin’s driver, Allan Sawadan, and meted
out an additional 12 years in jail.
“We are saddened because he (Valera) is a
relative. But justice should prevail and he should pay the price of the crime
he did,” said Abra Governor Eustaquio “Takits” Bersamin, who is the slain
congressman’s brother but also a nephew of the convicted former governor.
For her part, AbraVice Gov. Rosario Chari
Bersamin, the daughter of the murder victim in the case, described the decision
as unexpected.
She said that while she is happy with the
decision of the court, it will not bring back the life of her father. “The most
important thing is that they were given justice,” she added.
Vicsyd Valera, was Lagangilang’s brightest
hometown boy. He became a lawyer in 1976 and earned a lot of friends in the
political scene. When “People Power” swept across the nation in 1986, Valera
was appointed Officer in Charge (OIC) of the Capitol of Abra, while his nephew
Chito Bersamin was appointed as OIC-mayor of the capital town of Bangued.
When
elections came in 1998, Vicsyd was elected governor and reelected to a second
term from 1992-1995.
Vicsyd went
on to run for congressman and won in the 1995 elections and held the position
until 2001, during which, Chito Bersamin, took his place as governor.
Being
relatives, they maintained political control over Abra, exchanging these top
elective positions for years.
But a year
before the 2007 elections, the political climate changed and the relationship
between the two soured with Bersamin being rumored to run against Valera for
the governorship.
That
electoral showdown never materialized with Valera eliminating his political
rival and relative.
The
conviction of Valera for the murder of Bersamin is hoped to put a closure to a
bitter episode in Abra’s political history involving its two biggest
politicians of their time.
Chito has
been known in the province as a peaceful man, who helped resolve crimes in the
province and put education as his priority with the end goal of solving
poverty.
His murder
was the punctuation point to political killings that have gone on but were
seldom reported in national media prior to his death.
“I was
silently living in the US when that happened. I felt bad for the death of my
brother which was just because of politics and it saddened me more that the
accused is a close family relative,” Gov. TakitsBersamin recalled.
Before the
2007 elections, Takits returned to Abra and run as governor with the goal of
bringing peace in the province.
Political
violence spread during the 2007 election season, but this time, they were
exposed, earning for Abra the media tag “killing fields of the North.”
An
outpouring of support from Abrenians, saddened by the murder of their
congressman, got Takits elected.
When Takits
was installed as governor, he vowed to unite Abrenians and end political
killings as a tribute to his slain brother.
It was a
tall order but the new governor had enlisted the support of the police and the
military in restoring order.
By election
year 2013, with the help of then Police Regional Office – Cordillera director,
Benjamin Magalong, zero casualty was recorded in the province.
Takits said
he had reached out to his brother’s killer. -- With a report from Freddie
G. Lazaro
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