Palace condemns ambush on Misamis Occidental mayor killed in police custody

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang on Sunday condemned the killing of Clarin, Misamis Occidental Mayor David Navarro, saying the rule of law should prevail even if the slain local executive was suspected of involvement in illegal drugs.

Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said the Duterte administration expects the police to do its work and prosecute the people behind the killing of Navarro, one of the 44 officials linked by President Rodrigo Duterte to drug trafficking last March.

Although Duterte had alleged that Navarro had drug links, the mayor was actually in police custody for an unrelated case of assault.

"People should not be ambushed or killed, whether they are suspected of being involved in drugs or they are wanted criminals. We have to let the legal process take it's course. So we condemn that. You should not be killed like a dog, a chicken or a wild boar. We're against it," Panelo said in a radio interview.

The mayor, who was visiting the city on official business, was arrested for allegedly assaulting a masseur. The incident happened about two weeks after Navarro met with Duterte to respond to allegations that he was into illegal drugs trade.

Gunmen stopped a police van that was taking Navarro to the prosecutor's office in Cebu City and shot him dead, authorities said.

Panelo said it was possible that the police officers guarding the mayor had committed security lapses.

"We are wondering why they were not able to react. Perhaps they were shocked. They did not expect it," the presidential spokesman said.  

According to a report on The Freeman, Clarin told investigators that he received death threats while he was in Misamis.

Panelo is not discounting the possibility that the ambush may be related to the illegal narcotics trade.

"We do not know whether those who ambushed him were his companions who got angry with him or whether they had a botched deal in their connections. We really do not know," he said.

"Nevertheless, whether it was connected to drugs, we won't allow such killings. That's not the law we follow. We will have to let the police do their work and then prosecute those behind the killing."

Asked to react to reports that at least 12 mayors and seven vice mayors have been killed since Duterte became president in 2016, Panelo said: "That means if they are mayors and they are involved in drugs, they are killing each other."

Among those killed was Rolando Espinosa, then mayor of Albuera, Leyte, who was killed in a government jail while, police said, they were serving a search warrant.