Editorial: Gunned down

ANOTHER elected official was gunned down by unknown assailants.

On Wednesday, Sapa-Sapa town, Tawi-Tawi Vice Mayor Al-Rasid Mohammad Alih was on his vehicle with his family when riding-in-tandem men waylaid them and shot him dead at a busy street in Zamboanga City.

The victim and his family just came from a shopping mall.

The vice mayor was rushed to a hospital but later succumbed to two gunshot wounds.

Alih was the fourth elected official in the country who was murdered this month.

The first was Tanauan City, Batangas Mayor Antonio Halili, who was shot dead during the weekly flag-raising ceremony at their city hall on July 2. The next day, General Tinio, Nueva Ecija Mayor Ferdinand Bote was gunned down inside his car. Vice Mayor Alex Lubigan of Trece Martires, Cavite was on his vehicle when assailants fired at him on July 7.

The series of killings seemed to have the same objective – make a public spectacle, make a statement.

The culture of impunity in the country continues to flourish.

Under the Duterte administration, at least 10 mayors and six vice mayors were killed, according to media reports.

The challenge now is for the Philippine National Police is to solve these series of killings as this is extremely alarming.

Local authorities should also work double time to thoroughly investigate the assassination of four elected officials in the span of two weeks.

The successive killings of elected officials have become the new normal in the country.

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