Lawmaker charged with murder

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines – Negros Occidental First District Rep. Melecio Yap and 13 others have been charged with murder and frustrated murder before a local court.

The charges, which stemmed from alleged extrajudicial killings in Escalante City when Yap was mayor, were filed on Friday.

Bernardino Patigas, Richard Patpat, Gregory Tuayon, Joel Villarin, Joey Llorente Jr., Jay Vargas, Hernando Llorente, Lorenzo Perolino, Rolando Llamata, Eleazar Navas and three men known only by their aliases of Bob Soler, Renan and Bam-Bam were included in the charge sheets.

Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales approved the filing of murder charges against Yap and his co-accused in October.

Ombudsman records show that between November 2007 and April 2013, Ferjun Damalerio, Jury Alsado Sr., Police Officer 3 Johnny Urbano, Eric Matugas, Armando Lutrago and Joseph Lutrago were murdered while there were slay attempts on Fernando Damalerio, Valentino Pabon and Roger Agaton.

The alleged victims were supporters of former mayor Santiago Barcelona, a political opponent of Yap.

The complainants said Yap, his supporters and members of a vigilante group with ties to communist rebels were behind the incidents .

Yap refused to comment when contacted by The STAR yesterday.

He earlier denied the allegations, saying they were politically motivated. “I have nothing to fear, I have not done anything wrong,” he said.

In his affidavit, Yap said he is not a supporter of the New People’s Army. He said a task force created by the Departments of Justice and the Interior and Local Government found no evidence of his participation in the killings.