- A town mayor in South Cotabato was shot dead on Friday morning
- According to a witness, the mayor was inspecting a project site when he was shot by a riding-in-tandem
- A bystander that was talking to the mayor was also shot and sustained wounds
- As mentioned in the initial police report, it is possible that the motive is a personal grudge or work-related
Santo Niño, South Cotabato Mayor Pablo Matinong Jr. was shot dead on Friday morning.
KAMI learned that the late mayor was included in the drug watch list of the government.
Photo from the Facebook page of Bombo Radyo Koronadal
Source: Facebook
In a report by the Inquirer (authored by Edwin O. Fernandez), a witness claimed that the mayor was inspecting at a project site when he was shot by an unidentified riding-in-tandem.
Matinong sustained two gunshot wounds to his head. Meanwhile, a bystander that was talking with the late mayor was also shot and sustained wounds.
However, Matinong was declared dead-on-arrival when he was rushed to the Dr. Luntao Clinic and Hospital.
In the initial report of the police, it is possible that the incident had a “possible motive of personal grudge.”
“We’re looking into a number of angles right now, including business and work-related conflict and personal grudge,” South Cotabato police director, Col. Jemuel Siason, said as reported by the Philippine News Agency.
Mayor Pablo Matinong Jr. ran under the Nationalist People’s Coalition-PDP-Laban slate in the May 2019 elections. He was one of the politicians that President Rodrigo Duterte publicly accused of being involved in the îllégâl drug trade.
President Rodrigo Duterte got controversial because of his flagship campaign against narcotics. Even Vice President Leni Robredo slammed the President for his anti-narcotics campaign.
In an earlier report, a mother grieved after her husband and son were shot. She admitted that it was her son-in-law who was involved in the drug trade.