Philippine’s war on drugs resulted in mayor’s tragic death, mayor Antonio Halili who paraded suspected drug dealers through the streets of his city was shot dead by a sniper on Monday, Al Jazeera reported.
The late Mayor gained popularity for introducing a ‘walk of shame’ parade of alleged drug dealers through his city of Tanauan, a city in Batangas province southwest of Manila. According to the police, on Monday, Antonio Halili was attending a weekly flag-raising ceremony for government officials. The brave mayor was shot in the chest by a still unknown-gunman and died on the way to a hospital, while the shooter managed to escape.
‘We are shocked, we are saddened,’
Vice Mayor Jhoanna Villamor, who was standing beside Halili, told. The bullet hit a smartphone in mayor’s coat pocket then pierced his chest, police confirmed.
Halili was a supporter of the proliferation of illegal drugs in Tanauan city, he even expressed concern over the way police conducted the war on drugs and the reliability of their intelligence, and that he might be accused of colluding with narcotics gangs.
Three other mayors on the “narco-list” have been shot dead, one of them while being held inside a jail cell. According to the Tanauan police chief Albayalde, Mayor Antonio Halili killing may be linked to the recent illegal drugs allegations.
Over two years of war on drugs on the Philippines, more than 4,200 suspected drug dealers during shootouts. Rodrigo Duterte’s anti-drug campaign was condemned by domestic and international human rights groups but the national leader is continuing his efforts to make his country safer.
