Mayor Maria Fe Brondial. SCREENGRAB from https://lmp.org.ph
Mayors now fear for their lives following the recent murders of local chief executives in the country.
Mayor Maria Fe Brondial, President of the League of Municipalities in the Philippines, said on Wednesday that local chief executives have expressed their deep concern over the killing of Mayor Antonio Halili of Tanauan City, Batangas, and Mayor Ferdinand Bote of General Tinio, Nueva Ecija.
READ: Sniper kills mayor linked to drugs
Both were killed in a brazen daylight shooting a day after the other.
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“Natatakot po [sila], lalo ang ating mga mayors na nasa listahan. Nakakatakot, at nakakaawa din sila na sabi nila, ‘Mayor, hindi naman talaga kami kasali dyan. Bakit kami nakasama?’” said Brondial, mayor of Socorro City in Oriental Mindoro, in an interview with dzMM.
(They are afraid, especially our mayors who are in the list. It’s scary and I feel sorry, as they say, “Mayor, we are not really involved. Why were our names included?”)
Brondial was referring to the administration’s list of personalities, including public officials, who are allegedly involved in the illegal drugs trade. The list has since been called the “narcolist.”
Brondial stressed that even if local officials have committed a crime, they should never be executed that way, as there are courts where they should be appropriately charged.
“Meron tayong korte. May [Office of the] Ombudsman, may DILG (Deparment of Interior and Local Government) na [kung saan] pwede nating isampa ang reklamo laban sa mga maling mayors. Pero hindi [sila] dapat paslangin,” she pointed out.
(We have the court. We have the [Office of the] Ombudsman, we have the DILG where we can file complaints against mayors who commit wrongdoings. But they should not be killed.)
Brondial aid she has requested a dialogue with President Rodrigo Duterte after he previously warned that police powers will be taken from local executives whose municipalities still have high crime rate and rampant illegal drug use. /kga
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