MANILA, Philippines—Amid speculations that news anchor Ted Failon , Teodoro Etong in real life, shot his wife, their daughter on Thursday said her mother tried to kill herself due to financial problems.

"It was a self-inflicted incident. My mother tried to commit suicide by shooting herself in the head," said Kaye Etong in an interview over dzMM.

The young Etong also defended her father, who is being questioned over the incident.

"Sobrang sakit na po na nangyari ito sa nanay ko (This incident with my mother has been very painful). It’s bad enough to accuse ang tatay ko (my father)," she said in the radio interview at the time slot of his father's program.

The news anchor's licensed .38-caliber pistol was believed to have been used in the suicide try.

"Yung nangyari kay (What happened to) Mama was an unfortunate event. It was a self-inflicted incident," she repeated.

Etong said her mother, Trinidad Arteche-Etong, was still fighting for her life at the New Era Hospital in Quezon City and badly needed blood transfusion. She said her mother lost a lot of blood when she supposedly shot herself in the head.

She narrated that what his father told her was the same statement the news anchor gave out hours after the incident.

Etong said her father found her mother bathing in a pool of blood when she was found.

Reports said the news anchor also tested negative for gunpowder burns.

She added that the supposed letter from her mother bore her true handwriting.

"I know my mother's handwriting. Nung nakita ko 'yung kopya ng sulat, alam kong sulat po 'yun ni Mama (When I saw a copy of the letter, I know Mama’s handwriting)," said the daughter, adding that the use of the words “po” and “opo” was normal for her mother.

Etong also lamented how the police and the public had been treating the incident, noting that several policemen were even posing with her father for pictures while the broadcaster was undergoing paraffin test inside their house.

A portion of the letter allegedly written by Failon's wife read: "Papa, I'm so sorry, gustong-gusto ko pong magsabi sayo ng totoo pero hindi ko po alam kung papano ko uumpisahan. Sobrang takot na takot po ako...sana po mapatawad mo ako papa (I really want to tell you the truth but I don’t know how to begin. I am so afraid…I hope you can forgive me papa)."

The young Etong also said that her mother's blood pressure is now in stable condition at the New Era General Hospital.

Failon left Camp Caringal early Thursday to visit his wife in the hospital. Authorities are now waiting for Failon to return him to the police headquarters.

The daughter added that policemen tried to hold them for several hours at Camp Karingal when in fact they were merely invited for questioning.

"Hindi po ito pelikula. (This is not a movie)," she said, who at one point cried during the interview. She noted they were also trying to shield her 12-year-old sister from the news.

The daughter asked for prayers for the immediate recovery of her mother.

"Kailangang kailangan po namin ang mga panalaning ninyo (We really need your prayers)," she said.