MANILA, Phiippines – Motorcycle-riding gunmen killed the mayor of Talitay town, Maguindanao, in the Malate district of Manila on Monday night, February 10.
The Manila Police District (MPD) said Mayor Abdul Wahab Sabal was in front of the Mannra Hotel in Quirino Avenue, Malate, late Monday night when the incident happened.
Investigators said in an initial report that as soon as Sabal alighted his vehicle in front of the hotel, where he was about to check in, the men “shot the victim repeatedly” then fled the scene.
Sabal sustained multiple gunshot wounds in the body which led to his immediate death.
The MPD is still investigating the motive behind the killing.
Sabal is among the alleged drug personalities in President Rodrigo Duterte’s first so-called list of narcopoliticians and personalities with drug links released in August 2016. Sabal was Talitay vice mayor then.
Shortly after the release of the 2016 list, Sabal and 7 other Maguindanao officials on the list – including his brother then-Talitay mayor Montasir Sabal – surrendered to police for investigation to disprove the drug allegations.
A month later, in September 2016, the Anti-Illegal Drug Group (AIDG) arrested him at the Cotabato Airport in Datu Odin Sinsuat town over drug trafficking charges, and brought to Manila where he underwent inquest proceedings at the Department of Justice for his alleged drug links. Polie also linked accused him of involvement in the Davao market blast that same month, but authorities later pointed to the Maute Group as behind the bombing. – Rappler.com
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