By FREDDIE G. LAZARO

BANGUED, Abra – The wife of a town mayor of Abra was critically wounded when she was shot by a suspect disguise as poll watcher during the canvassing of election returns in one of the rooms at the fourth floor of the Holy Spirit Academy Building in this capital town Thursday noon.

The suspect, who was identified as ‘Totoy Buyaw’, died instantly after a commotion between him and the assigned army and police personnel after he shot the victim, Brenda Crisologo, wife of reelectionist Mayor Edwin Crisologo of Tineg town.

Senior Inspector Joseph Bayongasan, officer-in-charge of Bangued Police Station, said Mrs. Crisologo was rushed to a local hospital for treatment. She survived a delicate operation, it was learned at presstime.

Investigation disclosed that the shooting happened at about 12:20 noon, when the suspect, wearing a poll watcher’s identification card, entered the room at the fourth floor of he school building where the canvassing of election returns for Tineg town was in progress.

The victim was reportedly sitting by the corridor of the building while the suspect, who was reportedly standing and watching the canvassing of votes inside the room, suddenly turned around and shot the victim several times.

Bayongasan said that the assigned policemen and army personnel in the area tried to disarm the suspect but he refused to surrender, causing a commotion, followed by successive gunshots and the suspect fell down and died instantly.

The gunman used a Caliber 45 pistol in the shooting. (PNA)