View source for Gunmen Kill Fourth Philippine Local Official In A Week

<br>MANILA, July 11 (Reuters) - Two motorcycle-borne gunmen on Wednesday killed the vice mayor of a southern Philippine town, the fourth local official assassinated in a week, including one President Rodrigo Duterte said may have had links to illegal drugs.<br> <br>The attack took to 16 the number of mayors and vice mayors killed since Duterte unleashed his deadly anti-narcotics campaign when he came to power in 2016, media said.<br> <br>"We're still investigating the motive for the killing," said Allan Nazaro, police chief of Zamboanga City, after Wednesday's attack on Al Rashid Mohammad Ali, vice mayor of the town of [https://www.kynghidongduong.vn/tours/combo-du-lich-sapa-sa-pa-tu-ha-noi-tu-hcm-gia-re-dich-vu-chat-luong.html combo du lịch sapa]-[https://www.kynghidongduong.vn/tours/combo-du-lich-sapa-sa-pa-tu-ha-noi-tu-hcm-gia-re-dich-vu-chat-luong.html combo sapa giá rẻ] in the southernmost province of Tawi-Tawi.<br> <br>A relative was driving Ali in his vehicle when the gunmen opened fire, he added.<br> <br>Three mayors, who were on Duterte's watchlist of local officials suspected to have drug links, had been killed in two years.<br><br>Ali is the second vice mayor to be assassinated.<br> <br>Last week, Mayor Antonio Halili of Tanauan City in Batangas, south of Manila, was hit by a bullet in the chest during a [http://www.newsweek.com/search/site/flag-raising%20ceremony flag-raising ceremony].<br> <br>Halili had gained prominence in 2016 for parading drug suspects in the streets, but Duterte had put him on a watchlist of regional leaders.<br> <br>Duterte said the mayor may have had some drug involvement, calling his campaign to [http://www.sharkbayte.com/keyword/parade%20suspects parade suspects] was a ploy to convince police he was not engaged in the illegal drug trade.<br><br>Halili´s daughter has denied that her father had such links.<br> <br>On Tuesday, gunmen on a motorcycle killed Mayor Ferdinand Bote of General Tinio town in Nueva Ecija province, but police said he was not linked to the drug trade.<br> <br>Alexander Lubigan of Trece Martires, also south of Manila, was also killed in an ambush on Saturday.<br><br>(Reporting by Manuel Mogato; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)<br>