Abra man admits involvement in Bersamin ambush

MANILA, Philippines - A wanted man from Abra has confessed to taking part in the ambush of former Abra lawmaker Luis Bersamin Jr. nearly seven years ago.

Police arrested 31-year-old Lindon Alzate in Quezon City on Saturday night for an alleged attempt on the life of a sister of another Abra politician.

Quezon City police director Senior Superintendent Richard Albano said Alzate is considered the third most wanted criminal in Abra, with three warrants for his arrest.

“Most of his targets were Abra politicians,” he said. “He had been on the run for years but the long arm of the law finally caught up with him.”

Police intend to file a supplemental complaint against Alzate in connection with Bersamin’s killing, he added.

Metro Manila police commander Director Leonardo Espina said Alzate was arrested Saturday night at a checkpoint, along with one Ronald Bolor.

The checkpoint was set up after a resident, the sister of an Abra politician, complained that men were lurking outside her house in Barangay Bagong Silangan, he added.

Quezon City police station 6 commander Superintendent Ramon Pranada said the woman claimed a man, who turned out to be Bolor, managed to enter their compound on Saturday morning but fled on a motorcycle driven by a cohort, Alzate.

Frisked at the checkpoint, Alzate yielded a caliber .22 Llama and two cellular phones, he added.

The woman identified the two as the same persons she had seen earlier in the day, Pranada said.

Quezon City police deputy director for administration Senior Superintendent Joel Pagdilao said Alzate has an arrest warrant for murder and two others for frustrated murder issued by two courts in Abra.

Alzate also confessed to following: Involvement in the attempt to kill chairman Eustaquio Pacano of Barangay Kimloon in Bucay town, Abra in 2006; the killing of chairman Allong Brillantes of Barangay Macnay in Bangued town in 2009; the attempt on the life of Obot Gonzales, an aide of Gov. Takit Bersamin in 2009; the attempt to kill another man in Langanilang, Abra; the attempt on the life of Agustin Viernes in Manlabo, Abra in 2010 and the killing of Boy Aquino, a security aide of Gov. Takit Bersamin also in Bangued in 2011.

Quezon City police deputy director for operations Senior Superintendent Procopio Lipana said the suspects have undergone inquest proceedings for trespassing and illegal possession of firearms.

Pranada told The STAR Alzate confessed to being part of the group that conducted a surveillance on Bersamin before the ambush.

“He tailed Congressman Bersamin not just here in Metro Manila but even in Abra,” he said.

Alzate could have earned P10,000 for the surveillance job, he added.

Pranada said each assassination would cost P50,000 if it was successful.

Alzate would have been given a bonus of P25,000, he added.

Senior Superintendent Franklin Moises Mabanag told The STAR Alzate was not among those charged for the December 2006 killing of Bersamin.

“That’s a new development in the case,” he said.

Mabanag handled the investigation into the ambush that led to the filing of murder charges against former Abra governor Vicente Isidro Valera.

He is now the deputy regional director for operations of the Philippine National Police in Cagayan Valley.