Malacañang condemns slay of La Union mayor

“Like all killings, we condemn it and we commit to conduct a fast investigation to uncover the individuals behind this latest attack.” TOTO LOZANO/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

MANILA — Malacañang on Tuesday condemned the killing of Mayor Alexander “Alan” Buquing of Sudipen, La Union, and vowed to conduct a fast investigation to arrest the culprit.

“Like all killings, we condemn it and we commit to conduct a fast investigation to uncover the individuals behind this latest attack,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a Palace press briefing.

Buquing was reportedly with his wife, Vice Mayor Wendy Joy Buquing, when they were ambushed early Monday evening by unidentified men while on their way home.

The vice mayor survived, but her husband, and their driver Boni Depdepen, and a police bodyguard, PO2 Rolando Juanbe, were killed in the ambush.

“Hindi ko sinasabi na justified, pero alam po ninyo na panahon ng politika (I’m not saying it’s justified but you know this is a time of politics),” Roque said, referring to the 2019 mid-term elections.

“So ang katotohanan dyan, ang tanging solution dyan is that maparusahan lahat ng pumapatay para maibalik ang takot sa puso at isipan ng pumapatay sa lipunan (The only solution to that is to punish all the killers to bring back and instill fear in the hearts and minds of those who kill in our society),” he added.

According to the local police, Buquing was not on the government’s so-called “narcolist” or list of politicians using money from illegal drug activities.