LINGAYEN—Second District Board Member Raul Sison has categorically denied any involvement in the murder of his town mate, Urbiztondo Mayor Ernesto Balolong Jr., even as he admitted his family had expected they will immediately be suspected of having a hand in the crime.

A teary-eyed Sison, in an interview with newsmen at his office two days after Balolong was killed in the morning of June 7 in Urbiztondo town, said he is ready to cooperate with investigators.

“If they (investigators) need my statement, I will do it if only to help expedite the solution of the case,” said Sison, who did not deny the strained relations between Balolong and him and his family.

Sison said he was attending a cockfight in Manila on the day Balolong was assassinated and learned about the incident from his wife.

Sison’s son, Raul Martin Sison, is the vice mayor of Urbiztondo and will succeed as mayor under the law.

The provincial board member said he has advised his son not to assume the position of mayor until after Balolong is laid to rest.

PART WAYS

Sison said he and Balolong parted ways when the latter sought his help over the administrative case filed before the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) by Loida Cancino, the municipal treasurer of Urbiztondo.

The elder Sison and Balolong used to be political allies, both being former councilors of the town.

When Sison ran for mayor, Balolong was his vice mayor, but Sison failed in his bid while Balolong was elected.

In a string of cases filed by Cancino, the SP decided twice to put Balolong on preventive suspension, one of which was overturned by Malacanang while another is pending.

The pending case has brought tension to the municipal hall as Balolong refused to recognize the suspension order while Vice Mayor Sison temporarily assumed office.

The two further strained their relationship when the wife of  Sison and their son Raul Martin ran for mayor and vice mayor respectively in in the 2013 election.

Balolong won a second term of office but the young Balolong won as well.

In the barangay election last year, Sison’s wife again ran for barangay chairman of Poblacion, Urbiztondo but lost to Myrna Balolong, wife of the mayor.

Since June 9, the flag in front of the municipal hall has been at half mast and a somber atmosphere was evident during last Monday’s flag raising ceremony attended by town employees.–LVM

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