Abra court denies suspended Pidigan town mayor’s TRO extension petition

BAGUIO CITY (March 1, 2025) -- The Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 1 in Bangued, Abra has denied the petition of suspended Pidigan town mayor Domino Valera who sought to extend the 72-hour February 25, 2025 Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) on his suspension, for lack of merit.

Earlier on January 10, 2025, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) of Abra imposed a 60-day preventive suspension on Pidigan Mayor Domino Valera on complaints of grave misconduct, conduct unbecoming of a public officer, conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service, and violation of the Code of Ethical Standards for Public Officials were filed by three employees who complained that their benefits were not released.

Seven days later, on January 17, 2025, Valera filed a Petition for Certiorari with an application for a TRO and Writ of Preliminary Injunction but the TRO was denied.

On February 24, 2025, Valera filed another petition where a TRO was granted based on the allegation of “extreme urgency in order not to disrupt public service” in Pidigan town, effective for 72 hours from the posting of the bond posted the next day.

A summary hearing was held for the extension of the TRO where Valera's camp and the SP presented witnesses, but the Court ruled that the suspended official failed to prove the urgent and paramount necessity to enjoin the implementation of his suspension. "Unfortunately, in this case, the applicant failed to prove that the court must issue an extension of the TRO," read the court’s decision issued on February 28, 2025.

“Court ruling link with mayoral bet’s ambush?”

Talk is rife that the court’s denial of Valera’s petition is linked with Friday afternoon’s ambush of the 11-vehicle convoy of Pidigan town mayoralty bet, former Langiden town Mayor Artemio Donato Jr. at sitio Palicad, Poblacion, Pilar town.

Quillat, Langiden barangay chairman Froilan Bueno and barangay driver Kevin Bueno were killed in the attack while Donato Jr. convoy were already enroute towards Villaviciosa town from Poblacion, Pilar at around 4:40PM when fired upon.

Donato Jr., the mayoralty forerunner in Pidigan town versus suspended Mayor Valera’s daughter “Obay, was unhurt.

Donato Jr., who has not released any official statement yet, is being targeted because of the recent court decision, Abra netizens strongly suspect.

Responding policemen found a black Montero SUV bearing plate number B1 U480 on the side of the road and found Kevin Bueno with a gunshot wound on the head, while Punong Barangay Bueno was hit on chest and Sonny Bisares Bueno wounded on the right leg.

Punong Barangay Bueno succumbed while undergoing treatment at the hospital while Sonny Bueno is still being treated at the Seares Hospital at Zone 4 , in Bangued, the provincial capital.

Crime scene probers found out, Lt. Col. Carol Lacuata, Cordillera police information officer bared, that assailants took cover on the higher ground around 20 meters from the road to launch the ambush.

Lacuata said a dragnet operation is underway, though not naming their suspects or persons of interests yet.