Person of interest in vlogger’s slay identified

MANILA, Philippines — Police have identified a person of interest in the fatal shooting of pro-Marcos vlogger Alicia Lipata in Caloocan.

Probers are looking into a possible personal grudge against Lipata, according to city police chief Col. Joey Goforth.

Goforth said Lipata previously lodged a criminal case against a man, who filed a counter-complaint.

On July 17, a witness saw two motorcycle-riding suspects open fire at Lipata and her partner outside their house in Barangay 171, Caloocan.

Authorities said they are also looking into multiple angles surrounding the vlogger’s death, noting that Lipata’s content mainly tackled politics and other social issues.

“Alicia is a known vlogger, with the majority of her content focusing on commentaries about social issues. We cannot discard that angle,” Goforth said.

Police are waiting for the recovery of Lipata’s partner in the hospital to help them in the probe.

Lipata’s murder could be work-related, according to the Philippine National Police.

PNP spokesman Col. Allen Rae Co said the special investigation task group formed by the Northern Police District made “progress” in the case.

Co stopped short of giving out more details so as not to compromise the investigation.

“According to initial report, it could be something personal,” Co told reporters.

Lipata has been known for her fiery attacks against the Dutertes.

“But that’s premature, that’s speculation. The strongest angle we are seeing is about her personal life,” Co said.

The PNP did not confirm if one of the two suspects is Lipata’s former boyfriend.

Palace: Crimes down

Meanwhile, Malacañang maintained that reports about killings do not reflect the country’s overall peace situation.

Palace press officer Claire Castro said the PNP is intensifying efforts to ensure public safety.

Aside from Lipata’s murder, other crimes recorded were the killing of motorcycle rider Fabio Norberte Jr. in Caloocan and American marine biologist Kent Carpenter in Negros Oriental.

Citing police data, Castro said crimes went down from 9,506 from Jan. 6 to April 5 to 7,883 cases from April 6 to July 4. — Alexis Romero