Police still looking for leads on Compostela Valley town mayor’s ambush

Mayor Reynaldo Navarro of Laak, Compostela Valley. SCREENGRAB from ecomval.gov.ph

MANILA, Philippines—There are still no leads on the ambush of Laak Mayor Reynaldo Navarro, who was shot dead on Wednesday in Compostela Valley.

“We are still checking the affiliations of the two assailants that were killed,” Police Chief Inspector Jed Clamor, Davao region police spokesperson told INQUIRER.net on Friday.

He said that one of the assailants who were immediately shot dead by authorities had a pending case of murder. Although they have identified the two, Clamor said they are still withholding the information.

They are also not discounting the New People’s Army as suspects.

On Thursday, the NPA said in a statement that while Navarro was tagged as the “Big 4” logging lords in the Agusan-ComVal-Davao area, it did not consider him as an enemy that warrants a death sentence.

Navarro was shot dead in an ambush believed to be executed by six unidentified men who were riding in pairs in three motorcycles in Davao del Norte last Wednesday. Two of the assailants were killed on the spot while the rest were able to escape.

Two of Navarro’s escorts and his driver were wounded while a bystander was hit by a stray bullet.

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