BANGUED, Abra – Abra Rep. Joseph Sto. Niño Bernos and Gov. Ma. Jocelyn Valera-Bernos have asked the Commission on Elections to censure the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group for meddling in the investigation of local politicial violence.
The Bernoses said they have filed a petition before the Comelec en banc via Chairman Sheriff Abbas asking them to issue a cease-and-desist to stop the Abra PNP-CIDG office from interfering.
The reelectionist Bernoses said the PNP-CIDG Abra showed “undue bias” in the five incidents involving rival political personalities and supporters.
Rep. Bernos is the brother-in-law of Gov. Bernos, whose husband, La Paz, Abra Mayor Israel, was killed in their hometown in 2006.
Citing the PNP Criminal Investigation Manual, the Bernoses said the municipal police have jurisdiction and were already on active investigation over the five incidents.
But they said that “despite the municipal police having jurisdiction, the PNP-CIDG Abra is dipping its hands on matters already beyond its jurisdiction.”
They said the latest meddling incident last April 29 occurred with the personal involvement of congressional bet Victoria Seares-Corpus, wife of PNP-CIDG director Police Major Gen. Amador Corpus.
“It is not a far stretch of the imagination to arrive at the conclusion that the CIDG Abra Provincial Office is being used for a political end,” the Bernoses said in their petition.
Last January, barangay councilor or “kagawad” Jayron Martinez and Brix Donato, following police investigation, filed a criminal charge against Fernando Blaza Jr. and Rowel Escalante for an alleged ambush near the river bank in Barangay Collago, Lagayan, Abra where Corpus’ nephew, Jendricks Seares Luna, is mayor.
After three days, Blaza and Escalante also filed criminal cases against Martinez and Donato using documents allegedly endorsed by the PNP-CIDG.
On Maundy Thursday in Barangay Collago, barangay chairman Dominador Cardenas allegedly led an attack on a group of youngsters that killed one and injured one.
Veteran lawyer Estelita Cordero, legal counsel for the victims, while at the police station, a man claiming to be from the PNP-CIDG pressed her to identify herself and reveal her address. (Freddie Lazaro)
