Two unidentified gunmen killed a candidate for mayor yesterday in the southern Mindanao city of Pagadian, police and military said. The gunmen shot dead Rey Socorro near the cityâs busy business district around 9.45 a.m., military spokesman Lt. Col. Daniel Lucero said. âWe still donât know the motive of the attack. The assailants fled after the attack,â Lucero told the Arab News. Socorro, who was running for mayor in Pagadian City under the political party Isang Bansa, Isang Diwa under presidential candidate Eddie Gil, was onboard his van with a woman when the gunmen blocked their path and opened fire on him. Police said the woman was not hurt.
The motive of the attack is still unclear and authorities would not say if it was connected to politics, but the victim owned vast tracts of lands in Pagadian City.
| Check to see who inherits. I'll bet it's either the bleached blonde named Trixie or the overdressed babe with the cigarette holder named Evelyn... |
Filipinos are preparing for the May 10 presidential and national elections. Elections in the Philippines are traditionally festive occasions violent, particularly in the southern region where many politicians are gangsters maintain private armed groups. Rebel and other armed groups also pose a threat to the peaceful conduct of elections. |