TUGUEGARAO CITY , Philippines – The vice mayor of Bangued, Abra has been sworn in as acting mayor, as the capital town’s re-electionist mayor has gone into hiding to evade an arrest warrant for the killing of a political rival’s wife in 2007.
Abra Gov. Eustaquio Bersamin administered the oath of office to Vice Mayor Allan Seares, a relative of fugitive Mayor Ryan Luna.
Luna, along with six others, has been indicted for the killing of Brenda Criosologo, wife of Tineg Mayor Edwin Crisologo, during the counting of ballots in the 2007 polls. Luna’s brother Cromwell lost in the Tineg mayoral race then.
Luna’s mother, former congresswoman Cecilia Seares Luna, is pitted against Bersamin in the May 13 polls, while his brother Hans is running against Rep. Jocelyn Valera-Bernos. Another brother, Jendricks, is contesting Crisologo for the Tineg mayorship. – Raymund Catindig, Teddy Molina