MANILA, Philippines -- Police are baffled by the death of a policeman who allegedly shot and critically wounded his wife during a verbal spat inside the Bases Conversion and Development Authority housing complex in Taguig City on Saturday.

Police Office 1 Zandro Mejia, assigned to the police Highway Patrol Group, expired while he was being wheeled into Taguig-Pateros Hospital.

His wife, Elenita, a non-uniformed member of the staff at the Directorate for Comptrollership of the Philippine National Police in Camp Crame, was still fighting for her life at Medical City Hospital.

Senior Superintendent Cascolan, Taguig police chief, said the couple reportedly had a squabble over a still unknown subject inside the apartment owned by the policeman’s mother at MB12 Building, BCDA housing complex, at around 10:15 a.m.

At the height of their confrontation, Mejia allegedly pulled out his 9-mm pistol and shot his wife four times.

“Some of the relatives said the policeman’s mother was able to deflect the gun,” Cascolan said over the phone.

The witnesses, however, could not explain how Mejia sustained two gunshots to the body.

According to Cascolan, Mejia’s mother was still in a state in shock and could not provide details of the shooting.

“We’re looking at the possibility that the wife was able to grab the gun and shoot her husband,” he said.

Cascolan said they received information that Mejia was suffering from a mental disorder.