Slain mayor Antonio Halili of Tanauan City laid to rest

Halili’s family, friends, and supporters gathered at the St. John The Evangelist Parish Church to bid final farewell to the slain mayor. (Photo: Tanauan City’s Hope/Facebook)

Tanauan City mayor Antonio Halili, who was shot dead in broad light while attending a flag-raising ceremony at his town’s city hall, was buried on Sunday afternoon, July 8.

Halili’s family, friends, and supporters gathered at the St. John The Evangelist Parish Church to bid a final farewell to the slain mayor. The crowd was wearing yellow t-shirts with an image of Halili imprinted on it and words calling for justice for his death.

After the funeral mass presided by Father Toti Mandanas, Halili’s remains were brought to the Tanauan City Hall for necrological service and for the last public viewing.

He was then laid to rest at the Loyola Memorial Gardens, near the city hall.

Halili was known for his “walk of shame” campaign in Tanauan, where law offenders paraded the town while carrying “Wag tularan (Do not emulate)” slogan.

Despite this campaign, Halili was among the local executives who were stripped of police powers due to their alleged involvement in illegal drugs or abuse of authority.

President Rodrigo Duterte earlier claimed that the slain mayor had ties to the drug trade, and that Halili got what he deserved.

“Kanina, si Halili sa Batangas. Kunwari ipa-procession ang mga addicts, siya pala, siya ‘yun (Earlier, Halili in Batangas. He pretended to shame addicts by parading them, but he was involved in illegal drugs himself, it was him),” Duterte said in a speech during the anniversary of Maasin City, Southern Leyte last July 2, hours before Halili was assassinated.

“I suspect he was into drugs. I just suspect,” he added.

However, Halili’s second child, Angeline, came to her father’s defense, saying drug allegations thrown against the mayor are not true as it has not been proven. She added that the Chief Executive was fed with false information about her father.

Just a few days after Halili’s murder, two local officials — General Tinio, Nueva Ecija Mayor Ferdinand Bote and Trece Martires City Vice Mayor Alex Lubigan — were also killed in an ambush.