Top vote-getting councilor killed in Davao Oriental town

GOVERNOR GENEROSO, Davao Oriental, Philippines — The number 1 elected councilor in this municipality was shot dead by unidentified gunmen on Sunday, but authorities were quick to rule out politics as a motive behind the murder.

Romie Almacin was on his way to his farm when attacked by motorcycle-riding men in Tibanban village past 8 p.m., according to Senior Superintendent Jose Carumba, Davao Oriental police chief.

The victim, a resident of Tibanban, had apparently stopped at the roadside when the suspects pounced upon him, firing cal. 45 pistols at his back and neck, said Senior Inspector Jayson Baria, Governor Generoso police chief.

Almacin’s family said he was murdered because of his vehement opposition to the proliferation of illegal drugs, illegal logging, corruption and other perceived anomalies in the town. The councilor was a known staunch critic of the administration of Mayor Vicente Orencia.

“We already knew this will happen. He has been receiving threats due to his opposition to various anomalies here,” said Ana Shira Mae Almacin, the slain councilor’s daughter.

When asked if politics could be behind her father’s murder, Shira Mae said “the people know why my father was killed. He’s been a good public servant, and the whole of Governor Generoso can attest to that.”

Carumba has ordered the creation of Task Force Almacin, composed of local and provincial police investigators, to look deeper into the possible motives of the murder.

Orencia said he has urged police to explore all possible angles in their probe into the town legislator’s death, and not just on politics.

“It’s not election-related, I don’t think this was politically motivated,” Orencia told reporters, adding he believed something big could be behind his staunch critic’s murder.

The mayor said he and the murdered councilor were not enemies even as they belonged to opposite political camps during last week’s elections.

Prior to Sunday’s murder, the recent polls in Governor Generoso, which saw Orencia win another term while his daughter Katrina Joy clinching the vice mayoralty seat, was orderly and peaceful, the mayor said.

Six of councilor bets under the Orencia ticket and two from the other parties, that included Almacin, also emerged as winners.

Almacin was aligned with the group of defeated mayoralty bet Jerry dela Cerna. The other winning councilor was an independent candidate. Before emerging as the number 1 councilor in the recent elections, the late councilor also served as village councilman, then as village chief of the fishing village of Tibanban.

Police said they were looking into the slain councilor’s support for the campaign against illegal drugs as one of the possible motives of the killing.

Baria said Almacin had received threats as early as 2011 following the successful anti-drug operation in Tibanban.

“He provided vital leads that helped authorities in that operation,” Baria said, adding one of the government informants was murdered after that, and unidentified men harassed the late councilor by throwing a rock at his house with a threatening note taped on it.