Tanauan mayor gunned down while singing national anthem – witnesses

SAN PEDRO CITY – Government employees who witnessed the killing of Tanauan Mayor Antonio “Thony” Halili on Monday morning said the local chief executive was shot while he was singing the national anthem during the flag ceremony.

“We were in the middle of singing the national anthem (when the shot was fired),” said city information officer Gerard Laresma in a phone interview.

He said Halili, along with the city vice mayor as well as members of the city council, occupied the first row on the city hall grounds while behind them were department heads and the rest of the city government employees.

Meanwhile, life goes on at the city hall as offices remained operational despite police cordoning off the city hall grounds.

Laresma said it is so far believed that the shot was fired likely by a sniper, who was possibly positioned at a vacant lot near the city government building.

“Everyone’s somber but we have duties to continue serving the public,” Laresma said.  /kga