PNP-CAR spokesman errs; Abra mayor's wife still alive

The spokesman for the Cordillera Region Police corrected an earlier pronouncement he made that the wife of Tineg Mayor Edwin Crisologo has expired while being treated at a local hospital in Bangued, Abra following a shooting incident past noon Thursday. In a text message, Superintendent Joseph Adnol said Brenda Crisologo remains alive and undergoing treatment at the Abra Provincial Hospital. "False report iyung patay na si Brenda. Under medical operation pa," read Adnol’s text message sent to reporters shortly before 4 p.m. Thursday. For his part, Senior Superintendent Alexander Pumecha, Abra police director, said: "She (Brenda Crisologo) was just moved to the recovery room." "She is in stable condition," Pumecha said. During the shooting incident past 12 noon at the Holy Spirit school in Bangued town, the unidentified suspect who initiated the shooting died after he was shot by responding policemen. The suspect has been identified as one Totoy Buyao, 21, of Agsimao, Tineg. Adnol earlier said Buyao is suspected to be an ally of a political rival of Crisologo. "Kung ganyang sitwasyon, most probably, (ang suspect) ang kalabang pulitiko," Adnol said in a phone interview. Adnol said Crisologo is currently running against Lenin Benwaren. Four years ago, Tineg Mayor Clarence Benwaren was killed by gunmen inside a church in Laguna. His family and political allies immediately tagged politics as motive in the killing and linked Abra Governor Vicente Valera and Benwaren's vice mayor then - Edwin Crisologo - to the crime. Abra is among the five provinces placed under Comelec control due to intense political rivalry and presence of communist rebels in the province. On Wednesday morning, six Army soldiers, including a lieutenant, and a militiaman were killed in a firefight with suspected communist rebels in Boliney town. - GMANews.TV