MANILA, Philippines (AP) – Police killed a mayor of a city in the central Philippines and two of his aides, while two police officers were killed in the latest deadly violence involving the police force, officials said on Tuesday.
“I can only assume that it was a wrong meeting,” said General Ronaldo de Jesus, commander of the regional police, based on initial police reports.
Police were on routine patrol when they were fired on Monday afternoon by security assistants from Catbalogan city mayor Ronaldo Aquino, who was being taken in a van in Samar province, according to Jesus.
The police responded to the fire and killed Aquino and two of his aides, including a police escort, while the mayor’s aides killed two of the policemen, who were behind the mayor’s van, he said.
“They suspected and opened fire on our police and our forces retaliated,” de Jesus told reporters, adding that an investigation was underway.
The video shortly after the attack showed residents circling around Aquino’s white van, its windows shattered by gunshots and the van dotted with bullet holes. The bullet projectiles used covered the scene of the attack in the middle of a bridge.
Aquino’s friend, deputy Edgar Sarmiento, said the mayor, who was on his way to his son’s birthday party, may have been the target, but Jesus said that the police were not after Aquino and were just on patrol for Aquino. routine.
“It was well planned. After the van stopped, it was immediately hit. It is good that they could retaliate, ”said Sarmiento to DZMM radio in tears. “We are in a pandemic and things like that are still happening.”
Several mayors and provincial officials linked to illegal drugs were ambushed and killed by unknown gunmen under President Rodrigo Duterte, who oversaw a deadly drug crackdown that alarmed western governments and human rights watchdogs. But Sarmiento said that Aquino was not involved in the illegal drug trade.
Monday’s deadly violence was the last that involved the police force.
Over the weekend, police, supported by military forces, killed nine people in attacks on alleged communist insurgents in four provinces near Manila. Law enforcement officials said the suspects opened fire first, but left-wing groups say the dead were unarmed activists.
The Justice Department was forced to investigate the deaths, which were condemned by left and human rights groups.
Two weeks ago, police and agents of the Philippine Anti-Drug Agency armed with assault rifles and pistols were involved in a shootout outside a shopping mall in an apparently mistaken conflict while each side carried out separate anti-drug operations. Three police officers and an anti-drug government informant were killed in the heavy fire.
Many people were trapped in the nearby mall by the shooting that closed the mall, congested traffic and was witnessed by many residents, passengers and buyers.