ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines – Charges were filed on Wednesday against seven men tagged in the fatal ambush of Mayor Randy Climaco of Tungawan, Zamboanga Sibugay.
Chief Inspector Edwin Verzon, information officer of the provincial police, said the filing of murder and frustrated murder charges were the result of a consolidated investigation of the incident, which left eight others wounded.
Verzon said the charges were filed with the provincial prosecutor’s office in Ipil town at past 3 p.m.
Climaco and his companions came from filing his certificate of candidacy when the suspects waylaid their convoy in Barangay Cayamcam on Oct. 12.
Climaco, who was on his third term, was supposed to run for vice mayor in the 2016 elections.
Verzon said the suspects were identified in the charge sheets, but the police asked journalists not to publish their names, so as not to compromise operations for their arrest.
He said the suspects were identified by the witnesses and the survivors in the rogue’s gallery of the Tungawan police.