The rival of assassinated congressman Rodel Batocabe in next year’s mayoral race in the town of Daraga said local politics was not behind his killing Saturday.
Mayor Carlwyn Baldo, who was set to run against Batocabe next year, said he would do all he could to help in the investigation.
“We want to assure the public that everything is being done to solve the killings and to give protection to the innocent that as your mayor and as the chairman of peace and order municipal council that justice will be served to Congressman Batocabe,” he said in a statement.
Batocabe and his police bodyguard, SPO1 Orlando Diaz, were shot dead Saturday afternoon as they were leaving a gift-giving event in Barangay Burgos in Daraga town, Albay.
Police said they were investigating several angles in the killings, including a political motive.
Witnesses told the police that at least three of the gunmen mingled with the crowd after the murder.
A report from GMA News quoted bystanders said the killers got on waiting motorcycles to make their escape.
Police said CCTV footage would enable them to identify the getaway vehicles.
READ: Cops claim break in Batocabe slay
On social media, Batocabe’s wife Gerti said her husband could have been murdered over politics.
Lawmakers and the governor of Albay have put together P30 million as a reward for information leading to the arrest of the killers.
The Supreme Court, meanwhile, said it will act on the spate of attacks on lawyers following the latest killing of lawyer and Ako Bicol Party-list representative Batocabe.
Court Administrator Midas Marquez on Tuesday said Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin has received the online petition by officials and members of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines urging the 15-member bench to take measures to protect lawyers after some of its members have been killed.
“The Chief Justice will seek the concurrence of the Court in conducting an independent investigation and convening a dialogue between the members of the bar and the law enforcers,” Marquez said in a statement.
The IBP petition signed initially by 78 lawyers, called on the SC to “take immediate action to protect lawyers in the Philippines as they perform their function to protect their clients’ rights and uphold the rule of law.”
The IBP made the appeal as it condemned the killing of Batocabe in Albay last Saturday.
Just last month, lawyer Benjamin Ramos was shot dead by two unidentified men at the public plaza of Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental. Ramos was the secretary general of the National Union of
People’s Lawyers-Negros who was actively assisting the families of the nine farmers killed in Sagay, Negros Occidental.
