The reelectionist mayor of Abra’s capital town was charged with murder on Friday after he was tagged in the killing of a supporter of another mayoralty candidate on Thursday morning, a GMA News Report said. Bangued Mayor Dominic Valera is currently facing murder charges after a witness positively identified him as the one who shot Mario Acena, reportedly a supporter of rival candidate Ryan Luna, the report said. A shootout ensued between the camps of Valera and Luna on Thursday morning, leading to Acena’s death. (See: Abra town mayor tagged in slay of rival's follower) Also charged was PO2 Joseph Barrera, Valera’s close-in police aide, according to the report. The Abra provincial police office is also mulling the filing of administrative charges and a disqualification case against Valera for violating the gun ban imposed by the Commission on Elections (Comelec).
Valera remains on hospital arrest at the St. Luke’s Medical Center in Quezon City. He was flown out of Abra after he complained of chest pains after the incident. 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.—JV
