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De Lima seeks probe into slay of LGU heads after Calbayog mayor murder


Senator Leila De Lima on Sunday urged the Senate to condemn the murder of Calbayog City Mayor Ronaldo Aquino, and called for an investigation into the continuing attacks and killings of local chief executives in the country.

De Lima has filed Senate Resolution 683, where she stressed the need to identify the gaps in law enforcement and to give justice to all victims of killings with impunity.

“The killing of Mayor Ronaldo Aquino is but the latest local official to fall victim to the spate of killings committed against local chief executives across the country,” she said.

“The series of extrajudicial killings waged against local chief executives and the subsequent failure of the government to take meaningful action to give justice to the victims are part of a pattern of and systematic violations of human rights in the country, including by state agents,” she added.

Aquino and his three companions were killed in an armed encounter in the city on March 8.

Samar Representative Edgar Mary Sarmiento said Aquino and his companions were in a van when their vehicle was riddled with bullets on Laboyao Bridge in Barangay Lonoy.

According to a report on Saksi, Aquino and his companions thought they were being followed by the passengers of another vehicle. They shot at the vehicle, whose passengers turned out to be police officers, who retaliated.

Aquino, his driver, and his security officer were killed in the encounter. A police officer was also killed while another was injured.

“This bloody incident is not the first of its kind,” De Lima said, pointing out that the mayor's death brings the total number of mayors and vice mayors killed since 2016 to 25.

“The events of the past few years have shown that the police under this administration have all but eliminated peaceful surrender of anyone that they unilaterally and unlawfully determined to be their enemies… Until when will our people remain silent against these abuses?" she added.

De Lima said the alarming series of killings of local chief executives in the country should prompt the Senate to conduct a thorough investigation to determine the "concrete efforts the government has undertaken and is undertaking to stop the killings and seek answers to the reported illegal activities of alleged rogue police personnel."

A task group has been created to investigate the killing of Aquino and his companions.

Sarmiento has also filed a House resolution urging the chamber's Committee on Public Order and Safety to look into the incident. —LBG, GMA News

 

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