Politics seen in Tawi-tawi vice mayor’s killing
MANILA -Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Oscar Albayalde said on Thursday, July 12, they were looking at politics as the possible primary motive in the killing of Sapa-sapa, Tawi-Tawi Vice Mayor Alrashid Mohammad Alih.
Albayalde said that based on the accounts of Alih’s family, he was being groomed to be the successor of his father, Sapa-sapa Mayor Alsaggab Lee Mohammad Alih, who is already on his third and last term.
“Sa ngayon ‘yun ang sinasabi ‘yun ang nakikita natin na motibo, that’s one indication pero of course we do not want to close in doon lang sa political motivation,” said Albayalde.
(As of now, that is the possible motive that we are looking at. But we are not focusing only on politics.)
“Although wala pa tayong nakikita rin naman dahil wala naman sinasabing kaaway itong vice mayor at wala silang nakikitang ibang dahilan so far besides doon sa ginu-groom bilang kapalit ng kanyang ama na mayor doon sa kanilang municipality,” he added.
(The vice mayor had no enemies and his family could not think of another motive besides politics
since he was being groomed to succeed his father.)
The younger Alih was gunned down by a lone suspect on Wednesday afternoon, July 11, along Governor Alvarez Camino Nuevo, Zamboanga City.
He was then with his wife and security escort, who were unharmed. Alih was the fourth ranking local government official and the second vice mayor killed in the country in a span of less than two weeks.
Police are also eyeing politics as the motive in the killing of Tanauan City Mayor Antonio Halili on July 2 and Trece Martires City Vice Mayor Alexander Lubigan on July 7.
The killing of General Tinio Mayor Ferdinand Bote on July 3 has been linked to his business activities.