PNP task force probes Abra lady doctor’s slay; politics eyed

By Christopher Lloyd Caliwan 

PILAR, Abra -- Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar on Monday ordered the creation of a special task force that would probe the killing of a doctor who ran in the 2019 elections as mayor of Pilar.
    This, as Abra congressman JB Bernos expressed belief the attack was politically motivated as Dait was a known opposition leader in the town.
    She ran but lost in the mayoral race in the May 2019 elections.
    Her trusted aide was reportedly found dead with multiple bullet wounds during an earlier gun attack.
    Eleazar said the task force would ensure the speedy investigation of the death of Dr. Amor Trina Dait and vowed that all angles would be looked into to bring the perpetrators to justice.
    "I have issued an order to the regional director of the Police Regional Office-CAR (Cordillera Administrative Region) to form a special investigation task group to expedite the investigation in this case,” Eleazar said in Filipino in a video message sent to reporters Monday.
    Dait, a resident doctor of La Paz District Hospital, was gunned down inside her residence in Barangay Poblacion night of Sept. 18.
    Eleazar extended his condolences to Dait's family and assured them that he would personally follow up the case.
    One angle Eleazar said, could be individuals who have personal grudges against the victim.
    He appealed to residents in Pilar to inform and coordinate with authorities if they have information on the incident or any other suspects.
    "This incident only encouraged us to be more aggressive in our campaign against private armed groups and loose firearms to ensure the peace, honest and orderly conduct of the elections next year," Eleazar said.
    Other reports said Dait was wounded and later died of heart attack after an unidentified armed man opened fire at her house in Pilar.
    The victim suffered a gunshot wound in the leg and was taken to the Abra Provincial Hospital for treatment.
    She, however, died of heart attack while being treated, authorities said.
    Police said Dait and her husband were sitting at the balcony of their house in Barangay Poblacion when a motorcyle with the assailant pulled over at around 7:30 p.m.
    The assailant, reportedly armed with a rifle, fired five shots toward the victim’s house.
    Responding police officers rushed the victim to the hospital.
    Probers recovered five bullet shells for an M16 rifle at the scene.