New Tanauan City mayor to continue Halili’s campaign against illegal drugs

Eloisa Lopez

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New Tanauan City mayor to continue Halili’s campaign against illegal drugs
New Tanauan City Mayor Jhoanna Villamor says she will also be tough, but her methods may be different

BATANGAS, Philippines – Work was suspended Tuesday, July 3, at Tanauan City Hall’s Office of the Mayor as employees mourned the death of late mayor Antonio Halili.

But in the following days, it will return to business as usual said new Tanauan City Mayor Jhoanna Villamor. And she vowed to continue the legacy of her late predecessor, including the tough anti-illegal drugs stance.

Lahat kami in-shock, and ako personally hindi ko naisip na posible o mangyayari yung ganitong situation,” Villamor told Rappler on Monday, July 3.

(We are all in shock, and for me personally, I did not think this was possible that this would happen.)

A few hours after the killing of Halili, Villamor took her oath of office to replace him as  the city could not afford a prolonged vacancy. 

“I already met with the department heads kasi kailangan business as usual kami, at patuloy ang pagbibigay serbisyo sa taong bayan (we need to be business as usual and continue to delivering service to the people),” Villamor said.

Si Mayor [Halili] ay isang magaling na lider kaya kami ay nanghihinayang sa kanyang pagkawala,” Villamor said. “Yung political will niya at pagmamahal sa lungsod ng Tanauan ay nandoon.

(Mayor Halili was a good leader that’s why we are affected by his passing.)

Halili was widely known for his staunch campaign against illegal drugs in Tanauan City, specifically because of his unconventional method of penalizing drug suspects by “walk of shame.”

Tanauan City residents also credit Halili for upgrading the city’s public market, and the constructing the new city hall.

As Villamor steps into her new role, she promised to continue Halili’s campaign against illegal drugs, although her methods may be different.

“Definitely we will continue the campaign against illegal drugs. Definitely pagaaralan natin kung ano yung specific methods na kailangang i-iadopt at pwedeng baguhin, (I will study what specific methods to adopt and what should be replaced) but definitely the campaign will continue.”

For now, Villamor said she was still adjusting to her new position.

Pinakamahirap siguro yung transition period kasi hindi namin inexpect yung ganitong situation. Basta, ipagpapatuloy muna namin yung mga maganda niyang [Halili] nagwawa for Tanauan.”

(The transition period will be tough given that we did not expect a situation like this. We will continue the good things (the late mayor) has done for Tanauan.

On Monday, President Rodrigo Duterte said Halili’s death was not surprising, claiming that the slain mayor was involved in the illegal drug trade.

Villamor said she would rather not speculate on this as the matter since it is being investigated by the authorities.

“As far as Tanauenos know, naging maganda yung kampanya ni Mayor against illegal drugs. Wala naman kaming nakitang, o wala pa namang napapakitang hard evidence na napakita na siya ay involved sa illegal drugs, so ang paniniwalaan namin as Tanauenos ay kung ano yung nakita namin.”

(For citizens of Tanauan, the mayor’s campaign against illegal drugs was good. We have not seen or no one has presented hard evidence that points to his involvement in illegal drugs. So we Tanaueños believe only what we have seen.)

– Rappler.com

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