Philippines probes brazen attacks on politicians

Philippine authorities were Sunday investigating the brazen killing of a vice mayor near Manila, the third deadly attack by gunmen against local officials in less than a week.

The country has a violent, often deadly political culture, but watchdogs are concerned President Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war may be emboldening assailants.

Police said there was no clear connection between the slaying Saturday of Alexander Lubigan, vice mayor of the city of Trece Martires south of Manila, and the killings of two mayors just days before.

However Wilnor Papa, Philippine spokesman for Amnesty International, told AFP that while political violence was not new, “Duterte has aggravated it through his pronouncements.”

A sniper shot Mayor Antonio Halili, who was on Duterte’s list of allegedly narcotics-linked officials, during a public ceremony at the city hall in nearby Tanauan on Monday.

A day later motorcycleriding gunmen killed Duterte ally Ferdinand Bote, mayor of the northern town of General Tinio.

However, neither Bote nor Lubigan, the vice mayor killed Saturday, had known drug links. No clear motive has emerged yet.

According to a count by police, more than two dozen people were killed in “electionrelated violence” during campaigning for the May 2016 national elections.

At least 10 mayors including Halili and Bote have been killed since Duterte took office, while Lubigan was the fifth vice mayor killed in that period.

Duterte ran on a law-andorder platform that included promises to kill thousands of people involved in the drug trade, including officials.