Suspect in slay of Pauleen Luna grandma rushed to hospital

MANILA, Philippines - The suspect behind the killing of the 62-year-old grandmother of young actress Pauleen Luna is in "critical condition" and has been rushed to the hospital, police said Friday. Suspect Edison Antonio, 46, a resident of Pilar Malugit St, Tondo, Manila remains confined at the Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical Center where he was rushed 8 p.m. Thursday. The suspect was badly mauled Wednesday after he shot and killed Luna's grandmother. Antonio had already attended the inquest before the Manila Prosecutor’s Office for the rob-slay of Luna's grandmother, Mercedita Jimenez. Chief Inspector Alfredo Peco, chief of the Manila Police District homicide section, said they are trying to determine if the suspect had a companion when he robbed and killed Luna's grandmother. Investigators initially eyed robbery as the motive of the killing but they are not ruling out other angles after two photos of the victim were recovered from the arrested gunman. Probers wanted to establish if the killing was a sort of conspiracy or the assailant was a hired gun. During interrogation, the suspect who could hardly talk, admitted to the crime. He also said that he was not alone when the crime was committed, saying that he had back-up when he killed the victim. Police are now conducting manhunt operation against the suspect’s cohorts. The suspect also admitted that unidentified persons ordered him to kill and rob the movie and television star’s grandmother. A vendor who witnessed the killing of Luna's grandmother said the suspect was also the same man who killed a certain Ka Pabling. - GMANews.TV