CAGAYAN, Philippines- The mayor of Marcos town in Ilocos Norte province was shot dead on Saturday, June 3.
Reports reaching the Ilocos Norte provincial police said Mayor Arsenio Agustin and his driver Mark Valencia, was gunned down around 11:40 am in Mabuti village in Marcos town.
Agustin and Valencia was brought to the Dona Josefa Edralin Memorial District Hospital but were declared dead on arrival.
Agustin, a political ally of the Marcoses in the province, was inspecting a water impounding project when still unknown assailants fired at them.
Police are now investigating the killing.
Meanwhile, Ilocos Norte Governor Imee Marcos condemned the “heinous” killing of her ally.
“We condemn this heinous act, we will spare no effort to find and punish killers. I extend my prayers and sympathy to his family and friends who have over his time as mayor became close to us,” Marcos said.
In April this year, the town’s vice mayor, Jessie Ermitanio, was also ambushed.
Ermitanio and his two companions survived the attack while driver his driver Lucky Rumbaua was killed.
Marcos town was placed by the Commission n Elections (Comelec) as a hotspot for the last year’s election, this after mayoral candidate Alfredo Arce was killed in another shooting incident. Northernforum.net
