Motorcycle-borne gunmen have assassinated a mayor in a town north of the Philippine capital, the second such killing of an official in two days, police said.
Ferdinand Bote, 57, became the 12th elected local official murdered since President Rodrigo Duterte unleashed a deadly anti-narcotics campaign after coming to power two years ago, although Bote was not linked to the drug trade, ABC reported.
He and his driver were leaving a government office in the capital of Nueva Ecija province when gunmen approached his sport utility vehicle and shot him dead, said Adrian Gabriel, the town’s police chief. Police retrieved at least 18 empty shells at the scene.
Local news broadcaster GMA News tweeted CCTV footage of the ambush and assassination.
The government will spare no effort in getting to the bottom of the latest crime, said Harry Roque, a spokesman for Duterte.
“We assure everyone that we will discharge the state obligation for every murder,” Roque said in a statement, promising a fair and thorough investigation by police to bring the perpetrators to justice.
On Monday, Antonio Halili, 72, who had gained prominence in 2016 for parading drug suspects in the streets of Tanauan, south of Manila, was hit by a bullet in the chest while attending a weekly flag-raising ceremony.
Duterte said the mayor may have had some drug involvement and his “walk of shame” campaign to parade suspects was a ploy to convince police he was not engaged in the illegal drug trade.
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