Palace condemns Misamis Oriental mayor’s slay

October 27, 2019

Malacanang on Sunday condemned the killing of Clarin, Misamis Oriental mayor David Navarro.

In an interview by Radyo Inquirer, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said the government is against killing anyone without due process.

“Whether they are allegedly involved in illegal drugs or wanted criminals, they should not be ambushed or killed. (Their involvement) should undergo the process of law,” Panelo said.

“We condemned that… we are against it,” he added.

Panelo said there could be security lapses as the slain mayor was on board a patrol vehicle when he was attacked by around five to 10 still unidentified suspects.

“Maybe. We are even curious why they were not able to react, maybe they were shocked. They did not expect that their police mobile can be stopped like that,” he said.

Navarro was included in the list of so-called "narco-politicians" of President Rodrigo Duterte.

“We don’t know if those who ambushed him have a grudge on him or he has conflict in their drug connections. But still, if that is connected to drugs, you cannot just kill anyone in the streets,” the presidential spokesperson said.

“That is not what our law says so we will have to let the police do their work and then prosecute those behind the killings,” Panelo added.

In a television interview, Police Major Eduard Sanchez, Abellana Police Station chief, said Navarro was seating in between his chief of police and a companion.

“He is seating in between them,” Sanchez said in Visayan dialect.

He added they provided enough security for him, including a bulletproof van.

He said part of the investigation was why the police officers did not fire back at the suspects after they were asked to disembark and lay down.

A special investigation task group was created to probe the case.

Navarro is the 12th mayor who died under the Duterte administration. Ella Dionisio/DMS