Abra town mayor tagged in slay of rival's follower

A supporter of a mayoralty bet in Abra’s capital town of Bangued was killed Thursday morning in a shootout with a group allegedly connected with a re-electionist mayor, a GMA News report said. A witness positively identified incumbent Mayor Dominic Valera as the one who shot Mario Acena, reportedly a supporter of mayoralty candidate Ryan Luna, according to a report by GMA News’ John Consulta in “24 Oras." The report quoted the witness as saying that Valera shot Acena at close range.

Luna’s group was reportedly campaigning in Barangay Cosili West at about 8 a.m. when it was reportedly stalled by vehicles carrying Valera, his son, and a Joseph Domino, a candidate for councilor. A shootout immediately ensued when the two camps faced off, which left Acena dead of gunshot wounds. Valera denied shooting Luna’s party and insisted his group was the one ambushed. Police tried to arrest Valera at a hospital where he was brought due to high blood pressure, but the incumbent mayor locked himself inside a vehicle to evade arrest, according to the report. Abra has been a declared an election “hot spot" for the May polls due to instances of violence in the area between feuding political families. —Andreo Calonzo/KBK, GMANews.TV