A Philippine mayor President Rodrigo Duterte named as being involved in the illegal drug trade was shot dead in jail on Saturday, police said, the second local official implicated in narcotics to be killed in two weeks.
Duterte, 71, won May elections in a landslide on a promise to kill tens of thousands of criminals to prevent the Philippines from becoming a narco-state, and has launched an unprecedented war on drugs that has left more than 4,000 people dead.
He had named several local officials, policemen and judges as being involved in the narcotics trade and urged them to surrender.
In August, he accused Rolando Espinosa, the mayor of Albuera town in the central island of Leyte, and his son of drug trafficking and demanded they turn themselves in, giving police a “shoot on sight” order if the two resisted arrest.
Mayor Espinosa then surrendered to the national police chief, saying he feared for his life, and was arrested last month.
But early Saturday morning, police said Espinosa was killed in his cell in the provincial jail after he shot at officers during a search for illegal firearms.
“He fired on the raiding team. The raiding team fired back and this led to the mayor’s death,” said chief inspector Leo Laraga of the regional police.
He added that another inmate accused of drug trafficking was also killed, after he too fired at the officers.
The national police said it was investigating the circumstances surrounding Espinosa’s death as well as possible collusion between guards and inmates to get guns and drugs into the jail.
Police chief Ronald dela Rosa previously said Espinosa had been listed in official records as a “drug protector,” whose son Kerwin controlled the narcotics trade in the Albuera region.
Guns and grenades
Kerwin was arrested in the United Arab Emirates last month and is set to return to the Philippines to face drug trafficking charges.
In August, six of the Espinosas’ supporters died in a gunfight with police outside the mayor’s property in Albuera where officers said they recovered guns and several grenades.
Another mayor accused of drug trafficking was killed in the southern Philippines in late October.
Police said Samsudin Dimaukom and his security personnel opened fire after anti-narcotics police stopped their vehicles at a checkpoint on suspicion they were transporting illegal drugs.
Important to keep in mind President Duterte war on drugs has put nearly one million Filipinos into rehabilitation. In rehabilitation centers they get detoxed. The drug victims have fitness program, religious activities and learn skills they can use later to get employment. Duterte has put these drug victims into a positive path in life. In addition, less drug problems will give less crime. Less crime is beneficial for all residing in the Philippines and good for tourism/investment.
The media focus on the killed drug dealers. Yes, 4000 has died in shout outs with the police, some of them innocent, no doubt. Please keep this in context 4.000 drug dealer’s dead to save one million victims. It is only 0,4% casualties per rescued Filipino. Remember a there is not only the drug addict that is the victim, but his/her entire family.
Still there is a long way ahead. Angeles City, the “Red-Light” capitol of the Philippines is still INFESTED with drug problems. President Duterte have two options; send in police forces from other towns to assist the police(PNP) in Angeles or close the “Red-Light” districts. It is so sad to see these girls getting exploited by the drug dealers and the funds that should have gone to their families ends up in the hands of criminals and terrorists. Both President Duterte and the Police (PNP) should be applauded for a job well done!
those who kill human generation has no right to live. every drug dealer found selling, smugling or hording drugs must be killed on spot. no mercy for killers of humaity.
west talk about rights of individuals as these indviduals are destroying humen generation.
Drug lords make a lot of enemies trying to control territory. It was probably a revenge killing by another drug gang.
Shabu is over. Face it.