Agents of the National Bureau of Investigation have been sent to Tanauan City, Batangas, to start a parallel investigation of the assassination of Mayor Antonio Halili, who was killed by a sniper during a flag ceremony at city hall Monday.
“We are ready to assist the police in solving this case,” acting Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said Tuesday.
He said he would discuss the case further with NBI Director Dante Guerran.
Probers said they would look into the possibility that the killing was related to the illegal drug trade, as President Rodrigo Duterte suggested.
Halili, who gained notoriety for parading drug suspects through the streets in a “walk of shame,” was later tagged himself as a narco-politician by the President, who said he probably got what he deserved.
Duterte compared Halili to other mayors who had alleged links to illegal drugs and were killed, such as Reynaldo Parojinog of Ozamiz City in Misamis Occidental and Rolando Espinosa of Albuera in Leyte.
Halili was stripped of his supervisory powers over local police in October last year due to a proliferation of illegal drugs in the city, amid allegations by the national police that he may have been involved. He vehemently denied the allegations.
Last year, Halili said he backed Duterte’s campaign but believed drug kingpins should be the main targets, otherwise thousands of people would be killed.
He expressed concern over the way police conducted the war on drugs and the reliability of their intelligence.
Despite Duterte’s statements, the Palace said a proper investigation would take place.
Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said the President merely expressed “a suspicion.”
In his speech, President Duterte presumed that Halili was involved in illegal drugs and that’s the reason he was killed.
“So that’s how it is. I heard today that Halili has died. But we’re suspecting that it’s drug-related. It’s just a suspicion. But you’ll know the reason eventually. I will know,” he said.
Roque said Duterte’s statement would not affect the police investigation or the public perception of Halili.
The Palace official said they were concerned and alarmed by the incident, which took place at broad daylight.
Calabarzon police chief Chief Supt. Edward Carranza, meanwhile, said no clues could be derived from the bullet found in Halili’s body as it disintegrated upon entry.
Bullet jackets, however, from the ammunition used to kill Halili were recovered and are now under examination, he told the program Unang Balita.
Police said they were unable to find evidence from the clearing they believe the sniper used to fire his single shot.