Tawi-Tawi Vice Mayor 4th local official killed in 2 weeks

The Sapa-Sapa Vice Mayor is the latest victim to the string of local official killings this July and is the second vice mayor to be killed. (Shutterstock photo)

Another vice mayor joins the list of killed municipal level officials these past two weeks as Sapa-Sapa, Tawi-Tawi Vice Mayor Alrashid Mohammad Ali Lipae was shot dead on Wednesday, July 11.

According to the police, motorcycle-riding men fired gunshots to Lipae who was riding his car with his wife and security escort in Zamboanga City.

The Sapa-Sapa Vice Mayor is the latest victim to the string of local official killings this July and is the second vice mayor to be killed.

Last Saturday, Trece Martires, Cavite Vice Mayor Alexander Lubigan was gunned to death while riding his sports utility vehicle (SUV).

Though initial investigations have not produced enough evidence, some speculate that the killing was sparked by politics since Lubigan was supposed to announce his intention to run for a mayoral post on Monday.

[READ: Cavite vice mayor eyed higher post before slay]

On Monday, the same week as Lubigan’s death, Tanauan, Batangas Mayor Antonio Halili was also slain with a gunshot during a flag-raising ceremony in front of the town’s hall.

The day after, General Tinio, Nueva Ecija Mayor Ferdinand Bote was also shot dead.

Both Halili and Bote have been laid to rest, while Lubigan’s burial will be on Sunday, July 15.

This makes Lipae the fourth official to be killed in the last two weeks.

Meanwhile, according to Tawi-Tawi Representative Ruby Sahali, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte was “concerned” about the latest slaying.

“President Duterte was the one who broke the news to me. He told me he was concerned about the killing of one of our vice mayors in Zamboanga City,” Sahali said in a phone call to Philippine Daily Inquirer.

“This killing will not happen in Tawi-Tawi. The vice mayor has some escorts like the marines and he was a good man, he had no records… not even [linked to] drugs. I just feel sad that he was killed in a city like Zamboanga.

It’s like we don’t feel safe there now,” she further said in the report.