Vice Mayor Lubigan killed a day after announcing intention to run for mayor —DILG chief

Trece Martires, Cavite Vice Mayor Alexander Lubigan was killed a day after he announced his intention to run for mayor in next year's elections, Interior and Local Government officer-in-charge Eduardo Año said Monday.

Interviewed in Unang Balita, Año said they are looking at politics as motive behind the killing of Lubigan as well as of Mayor Ferdinand Bote of General Tinio, Nueva Ecija, who was shot dead in Cabanatuan on Tuesday last week.

"Yung kay Mayor Bote at Vice Mayor Lubigan malakas 'yung motibo na maaaring political. Lalo na si Vice Mayor Lubigan na nag-announce siya na tatakbo siyang mayor sa susunod na eleksyon, and then the next day naganap itong pagpatay sa kanya," Año said.

"Gayundin 'yung kay Mayor Bote kung saan isa siya sa pinagpipiliang tatakbong gubernador next year," he added.

Lubigan was killed in an ambush attack shortly before 3 p.m. last Saturday, the third local official to be killed in one week after Bote and Tanauan City, Batangas Mayor Antonio Halili, who was assassinated Monday last week.

Año refused to blame the killings to a "culture of impunity" under the Duterte administration, although he admitted that since 2016 — the year President Rodrigo Duterte took office — 11 mayors and five vice mayors have been killed.

"Hindi natin masasabing culture of impunity kasi ito mula noong 2016 at until now, more or less ay 11 mayors at five vice mayors 'yung napatay dito. Pero iba-iba ang dahilan. Merong personal, merong related sa drugs, merong political at meron ding business rivalry," he said.

"So 'di ko masasabing impunity kasi iba-iba motive at iba-iba ang circumstances," Año added. —KBK, GMA News