Palace adviser's party cries foul over 'smear' job

By JOAN DAIRO, GMANews.TV Ranking officials of the Philippine Democratic Socialist Party (PDSP) on Thursday laughed off and denied at the same time reports linking its local party leaders to the murder of Abra Rep. Luis Bersamin Jr last December 16. National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales, a ranking leader of the PDSP, said he was "shocked" with the "raw information", which Quezon City police district Director Senior Superintendent Magtanggol Gatdula claimed he got from anonymous text message senders. Gatdula has said his office is now "looking into" the tips. Gonzales, claiming the allegation was "an attempt to assault my person," insisted he had nothing to do with Bersamin's ambush-slay. "I had nothing to do with that killing. What will be my role in that killing, if any?" he asked. Peping Lugay, head of PDSP's public information department, said he was "surprised" with the report but admitted immediately calling the party's northern Luzon coordinator to check it out. "I was inactive for a few years and I really do not know who our friends are in Abra. I have asked our northern Luzon head, former Mayor Wilner Borbon, to check out the report," he told GMANews.TV in a telephone interview. Even before Borbon's report, however, Lugay said he is confident that the PDSP was not involved in the ambush-slay incident. "That's a ridiculous accusation. We have no motive to be part of that incident. We have nothing to do with this," he said. Lugay said the PDSP could not have been part of the slaying of Bersamin because he was a former affiliate of the party. The congressman ran under the PDSP banner in the 2001 senatorial and local elections but switched to the Kampi party of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in the 2004 presidential elections. Another PDSP member in Abra, he claimed, is Bangued Mayor Ma. Zita "Ching" Valera, wife of Abra Governor Vicente Valera who is accused of allegedly masterminding the Bersamin's killing. He said PDSP has about four to six members who won as mayors in different municipalities in Abra in the last elections. A check with the Department of Interior and Local Government and the Commission on Elections (Comelec) showed that 13 of the 27 incumbent Abra mayors ran under the PDSP banner during the 2004 elections. A total of eight vice mayors, meanwhile, were part of the PDSP ticket during the same polls. The mayors are Ma. Zita Valera (Bangued), Albert Guzman (Dolores), Cesario Baroña Sr (Lacub), Lizardo Sinogo Jr (Langangilang), Felix Castillo (Langiden), Andres Bayle (Licuan-Baay), Gregorio Sayen (Luba), Mario Baawa (Malibcong), Arnulfo Bisares (Pidigan), Medel Taverner (San Juan), Amador Diaz (San Quintin), Edwin Crisologo (Tineg), Jose Lagen Jr (Villaciciosa). The vice mayors are David Balcanao (Daguioman), Socorro Guzman (Dolores), Isidro Bueno (Langiden), Benido Bacuyag (Malibcong), Florante Pilarta (Pidigan), Aida Baldemor (San Juan), Adriano Tingday (Tineg) and George Belmes (Villaviciosa).-GMANews.TV