Aklan town vice mayor slain by councilor
ILOILO CITY—It was a disquieting day on Friday in Ibajay, Aklan, as residents continued to make sense of a violent incident that was considered a first in the coastal town: their vice mayor shot dead by one of their municipal councilors.
Police said they have yet to determine the motive behind the slaying of Vice Mayor Julio Estolloso by Councilor Mihrel Senatin, inside the vice mayor’s office in the town hall.
Police Maj. Rajiv Salbino, Ibajay police chief, said their investigation showed that Senatin entered the session hall of the municipal council at 9:15 a.m. supposedly to request copies of measures passed by the local legislative body, before he proceeded to the nearby office of Estolloso, the council’s presiding officer.
Senatin, police said, was overheard by witnesses asking Estolloso, who was seated behind his desk, if he had done anything wrong against the vice mayor before he pulled out a gun and shot the latter.
“Vice, anong sala kimo (Vice, what wrong have I done against you)?” Senatin was quoted by witnesses as asking in Akeanon. The councilor, who then drew a 9mm pistol, shot Estolloso at least six times.
The 50-year-old Estolloso, who was hit on the left side of his chest, died while being taken to Ibajay District Hospital, Salbino said. Ibajay is 34 kilometers away from the Aklan capital of Kalibo.
‘Dedicated, committed’
Police arrested Senatin and recovered from him the gun used in the attack.
Authorities, however, have yet to release any information on where the councilor got the gun, its license status, or whether he had a permit to carry a firearm.
Mayor Jose Miguel Miraflores, in a statement, said he was “deeply saddened by the untimely passing” of Estolloso, whom he described as a “dedicated, committed and valued” vice mayor of his town.
“His contributions to our community will be dearly missed. Our thoughts are with his family and the entire community during this difficult time,” Miraflores added.
Estolloso’s family had yet to release a statement on Friday. But the vice mayor’s grandson, George, called for swift justice for his grandfather’s death.
“A beautiful life, lived in service to others. Daw d ako kapati (I still can’t believe this happened)! Another life lost in the name of public service. Politics truly is a different kind of beast. JUSTICE for Lolo Vice Mayor Julio Estolloso,” George wrote on Facebook.
While the police had not yet established any motive as they continued the investigation, Salbino said there was no indication of a political rivalry between the two officials as they belonged to the same local party.
Work at the municipal hall was suspended on Friday following the murder of the vice mayor. —WITH A REPORT FROM JASON SIGALES
