MANILA, Philippines – A vice mayor from Quezon province was shot dead at his home on Tuesday evening, August 20, as he was resting in the living room.

According to the police report, Vice Mayor Sergio “Popoy” Emprese of San Andres, Quezon, “was lying on a sofa at their living room” in their Lucena City house at around 8 pm, when the killer “surreptitiously entered the unlocked gate and opened the main door of their house.”

“Right there and then, [the suspect] shot the victim once using an unkown calliber,” the report read.

Emprese’s sister, Chuchi, rushed to the room, panicked as she saw her brother bloodied. She was ordered by the gunman to stay back.

The killer then fled the scene “on foot.”

After the killer was gone, Vice Mayor Emprese was rushed to the Lucena Medical Mission Group Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 9:54 pm.

He is the 8th vice mayor shot dead since President Rodrigo Duterte assumed office. He follows Vice Mayor Al-fred Concepcion of Balaoan, La Union, who was killed when his convoy was ambushed by unknown assailants on November 14, 2018, while on his way to the municipal hall. (READ: Mayors, vice mayors killed under Duterte gov’t)

Emprese is a veteran politician of San Andres, elected as mayor for 3 straight terms from 1998 to 2007, then served 3 straight terms as mayor again from 2010 up to 2019. He was elected vice mayor last May.

He was suspended from his mayoral post by the Ombudsman in 2012 over graft charges. – Rappler.com