“RETURN THE CASH REWARD”

DINGRAS, Ilocos Norte, July 20– Detained Bernie Lazo alias “Bayaw”, the alleged self-confessed accomplice in the murder of the late Marcos (Ilocos Norte) town mayor Arsenio Agustin, must return the P100,000 cash reward given to him by the Mayors League of Ilocos Norte, officials said.

Dingras Mayor Erdio Valenzuela, the league president, said Lazo alias Bayaw must return the reward money to the League if he would push through with his earlier plan to recant his written testimony accusing former Marcos town vice mayor Jessie Ermitaño as the alleged mastermind in the Agustin slay case. (Ermitaño briefly served as acting mayor after the death of Agustin).

Everything is useless if Lazo would retract his testimony against the accused mastermind, so we demand that he should return to us the cash reward given to him, Valenzuela added.

Lazo’s planned recantation was earlier disclosed by his lawyer during a broadcast interview.

Records showed that Ermitano, Lazo and other co-accused including the alleged triggerman were all arrested and now detained in separate jails while facing court trials at the Marcos Hall of Justice in Laoag City.

The late mayor Agustin was assassinated by a civilian sniper while he was inspecting an ongoing dam project in the town’s outskirt.

His lone police escort repelled the attackers from further assault as the sniper’s volley of gunfire hit the mayor.

One of the laborers at the construction site was also shot and killed by stray bullets. (tri-media report)