She also tagged some of their political enemies as being behind a grand conspiracy to demolish the Dumpits as a family and destroy the elder Dumpit’s chances of winning in future elections.

Thelma Dumpit Murillo, eldest daughter of the lawmaker, said: ""Hindi santo ang aking ama. Pero mas lalong hindi siya isang mamamatay–tao katulad ng gustong ilarawan ng kanyang mga kalaban sa pulitika. Sila ang ganid sa kapangyarihan kahit isinuka na sila ng taumbayan. Ang usaping ito ay di na usapang pampulitika lamang but in defense of our honor, our family. ("My father is not a saint. But he is not the killer as what his political enemies portray him to be. They are greedy for power even if the people don’t want them anymore. This issue is no longer political. It is about the defense of our honor, poor family.")

Dumpit’s daughter also slammed the police for precipitately issuing a statement tagging her father, sister and brother as having conspired to kill a Comelec officer.

No preliminary investigation has been conducted, she said, and the prosecutors had not even examined the supposed killer and gunman.

"The obvious intent by this hasty publicity is to malign us," she stressed.

She expressed complete surprise at the charges levelled against her father, who has been dragged into the killing of La Union Commission on Elections (Comelec) officer Filemon Asperin Jr. last January.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) in La Union filed a murder complaint against the congressman, his son Lt. Col. Tomas "Butch" Dumpit Jr. and daughter Tess Dumpit-Michelena.

Thelma said it was strange for the PNP to produce an alleged confession of the gunman dated January 22 when he was arrested only on March 16.

"This is a questionable confession. Where on earth could you find a supposed confessed killer admitting a crime long before he is arrested?" she asked.

The congressman earlier questioned the filing of murder charges based only on the questionable testimony of alleged gunman Ares Mato, who was nabbed for illegal possession of shabu, firearm and for allegedly plotting to kill a police officer in South Cotabato.

Mato’s parents, Thelma added, have filed criminal and administrative cases against the policemen from the PNP intelligence unit in Region 12 who arrested Mato without any search warrant.

They also accused their son’s captors of torturing him to exact a confession. The distraught parents also said the affidavit signed by their son was evidently manufactured.

Thelma also scored La Union PNP provincial director Sr. Supt. Franklin Bucayu for saying that he would request a transfer of the case.

"Does Sr. Supt. Bucayu mean that he has no faith with the proseuctors in La Union? We would like to emphasize that we welcome the filing of the complaint against Rep. Dumpit because this will provide the venue for him to clear his name and that of his family. It would also allow the people to see the truth. These are serious charges that we intend to face when given our day in court."

"Finally, we would like to appeal to PNP chief Director General Arturo Lomibao not to prejudge the case by issuing statements in media to the effect that this killing along with the other killings in the province can be traced to the Dumpit camp," she added.

Dumpit’s daughter claimed that not one of the 17 political killings in another congressional district has been solved by the PNP.