Calabarzon PNP chief clarifies report Halili slay probe to include lady vice mayor
Tanauan City, Batangas Mayor Antonio Halili at the moment he was shot in July last year. Screengrab from a contributed video
MANILA, Philippines — The director of the Police Regional Office 4A (Calabarzon) clarified on Wednesday a report claiming that the investigation on the murder of Tanauan City, Batangas Mayor Antonio Halili now includes his then vice mayor, who was seen apparently smiling and laughing in a video taken during the assassination.
The report quoted Chief Supt. Edward Carranza, director of Calabarzon police, as saying that the video showing acting Mayor Jhoanna Corona Villamor seemingly smiling after Halili was shot was “shocking.”
Villamor became acting mayor after Halili died from a shooting incident during a flag raising ceremony in July 2018.
READ: Calabarzon PNP widens probe on Halili murder case
Carranza, however, told INQUIRER.net that he did not make such comment. He said he does not even know if the video was authentic.
Article continues after this advertisement“Wala akong sinasabi [na ganoon]. Basta somebody came to my office from the media showing me a video,” he said in a phone interview.
Article continues after this advertisement(I did not say that. Somebody from the media just came to my office showing me a video.)
Carranza said a reporter from a media network he declined to identify showed to him the video taken from a different angle in the crime scene around two months ago “but only surfaces now.”
Asked if he thinks the behavior of Villamor as shown in the video was suspicious, he said: “I do not know the character of the person so I cannot make any [comment].”
He said only an expert in human behavior would be able to give an accurate analysis of Villamor’s reaction after the shooting.
