Lacson: Family of slain Tanauan mayor sees gov’t’s hand in murder

The family of Tanauan City Mayor Antonio Halili suspects government could be behind his killing on Monday.

Senator Panfilo Lacson disclosed this on Thursday, citing his conversation with Halili’s family Wednesday.

“May mga agam-agam yung pamilya na shinare nila sa akin kahapon na baka may kinalaman yung pamahalaan,” Lacson said at a regular forum in the Senate,

“Gusto ko rin patahimikin yung kanilang pag-iisip, kalmahin sila na huwag agad agad na maghusga at hintayin yung kapulisan na isagawa yung investigation,” he added.

Lacson clarified that the family only implied the possible involvement of the government.

The family, he said, disclosed that there was supposed to be at least four weeks surveillance conducted on the mayor using at least two vehicles with “manufactured plates.”

A former head of the Philippine National Police, Lacson admitted that conducting surveillance and the use of “manufactured car plates” are being done by the police in operations against criminal suspects.

“Sa pakikipagusap ko kahapon mukhang di ganun ka-solido yung kanilang pagtititiwala sa gobyerno…” he said.

Lacson himself admitted that the killing was “stage-managed.”

“This is a big challenge, malaking hamon ito sa gobyerno, sa administration only because it appears to be stage-managed. May precision,” he said.

To dispel these suspicions, Lacson said the Philippine National Police and the National Bureau of Investigation to immediately resolve the case.  /muf