Mayor Mariano Blanco III of Ronda, Cebu was soaked in blood in his office Wednesday (5/9) morning. He was taken to the Barili District Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
According to a report from The Freeman cited on Philstar, four men barged into the mayor's office at around 1:30 a.m. and told two workers to drop to the floor. The men came out of the office and left the scene immediately after bursts of gunfire were heard in the area.
Senior Superintendent Manuel Abrugena, Cebu police director, said probers are eyeing either politics or illegal drugs as possible motives for the killing.
“I think it was an offensive on the alleged link of the mayor to illegal drug activities... We are looking into all possible angles,” Abrugena said.
He said a drug personality could have targeted Blanco.
The Ronda mayor was one of the local government officials whom President Rodrigo Duterte has linked to the illegal drug trade.
Last year, Blanco was stripped off his power over the police for his alleged involvement in illegal drugs.
He reportedly had been sleeping at the municipal hall for fear of his life after he was identified as one of the local officials with alleged links to the illegal drug trade.
In April 2017, Blanco and five other local executives of Ronda were charged with graft for failure to post invitations to bid for 15 projects on the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System from 2012 to 2013.
Blanco was among six local government officials killed this year and 11th since President Duterte assumed office.
Source: Philstar