Mayor’s wife shot, gunman killed; ballots snatched

BANGUED, Abra – One person was killed and the wife of a mayor was wounded in Tineg town noon on May 17, police said.

Senior Supt. Alexander Pumecha, director of the Abra provincial police office, identified the wounded victim as Brenda Crisologo, wife of Tineg Mayor Edwin Crisologo, while the suspected gunman, who was later shot to death by responding police operatives, was identified as Totoy Buyao, said to be a poll watcher.

Police investigation showed the gunman suddenly entered the Holy Spirit High School Compound where the canvassing of votes for Tineg town was being conducted.

He immediately aimed his Cal. 45 pistol at the crowd in the canvassing center and fired, hitting Ms Crisologo.

In Dolores town, counting of votes was temporarily suspended in the Heart of Mary High School here after a ballot box was snatched from a polling center by a group of armed men early morning on May 15.

Regional police director Chief Supt. Raul Gonzales, said the snatching was perpetrated after successive gunshots were heard near the school followed by a sudden power interruption that caused panic and disruption of vote counting for barangays Cardona, Kimmalaba and Mudiit.

Police immediately secured the school compound. But during the inventory of ballots boxes, it was discovered that one box, containing uncounted votes from precinct 25-A of barangay Mudiit, was missing.

The Abra Electric Cooperative said the power failure was caused by unidentified perpetrators who fire upon the power transformer causing irreparable damage.

The armed men reportedly fled on board two motorcycles and an owner-type jeep.

Agreco management said it would replace the damaged transformer by daybreak while the Commission on Elections suspended counting of votes, adding it would resume the tally after power is restored.