Two mayors killed on consecutive days in the Philippines

MANILA, PHILIPPINES (AP) – A Filipino mayor was shot dead Tuesday, the second mayor suffered the same fate in two days, which led an opposition senator to describe the country as "The Mayor Ferdinand Bote of the northern population of General Tinio was leaving a government complex in an SUV when a man on a motorcycle shot him several times. Armed man escaped, police said.

On Monday, the mayor Antonio Halili was shot dead when he sang the national anthem among hundreds of people. employees at the flag-raising ceremony Tanauan south of Manila

Opposition Senator Antonio Trillanes IV attributes the murders to a "culture of violence" fomented by President Rodrigo Duterte , that he's criticizing for a crackdown on drug trafficking that has caused thousands of m orts, mostly poor, in the last two years.

The Catholic Church has also expressed concern over the death of three priests in recent months, one of whom was killed while he was preparing to officiate. Mbad in a northern village. At least four suspects are jailed for the fact.

"Nobody is safe," Trillanes said in a statement. "To be someone who has promised in his campaign to restore peace and order in our country, it is ironic for many that Duterte has turned the Philippines into the murderous capital of Asia."

Duterte said without going into details Monday, Halili's death could be related to drugs. At least three mayors accused by the government of involvement in drug trafficking have died in raids or clashes with the police.

Halili denied having any relationship with the traffic. Police said Tuesday that the killer, armed with a rifle, was at an altitude of about 160 meters, in a well planned attack.

Bote, 57, did not appear on any list of suspects from the anti-drug agency. The police did not disclose the details of the murder.