The Commission on Human Rights strongly condemns the recent killing of Mayor Abdul Wahab Sabal of Talitay, Maguindanao by two unidentified gunmen riding in tandem.
According to reports, Mayor Sabal was gunned down in Malate, Manila by unidentified gunmen on a motorcycle just outside a hotel along Quirino Avenue, shortly after 10 P.M. Sabal is the latest in a string of killings specifically targeting Mayors, Vice Mayors, and other local government officials. Over the span of July 2016 and August 2019, Rappler reported that at least 8 vice mayors and 13 mayors were slain.
In 2016, Sabal was included in the administration’s narco-list, which alleged that those included were involved in the country’s drug trade. Sabal was then arrested and brought before the Justice department in September 2016. Sabal is not the first local chief executive who was killed after their inclusion in the administration’s list.
This incident is another notch in a pattern of impunity and violence that has taken root in this country. The rule of law must be prioritized above all; the release of the supposed narco-list in 2016 was a violation of due process and has predictably led to violence. Judgement and justice can only be achieved by going through the proper channels. This continued bloodshed is a failure of the State in protecting its citizens, as primary duty bearers and protectors of human rights.
Good governance cannot come if public servants are living in fear; action must be taken before more lives are lost, so that we can focus on working towards a better Philippines.
CHR urges the government to take the necessary steps to ensure the safety of its elected officials — this cycle of violence must be addressed, for its lasting effects and consequences are already being felt. Additionally, CHR calls for a peaceful and long-term solution to the drug problem so that the Filipino people are provided with a safer environment where all can thrive.
Finally, CHR offers its deepest condolences to the bereaved family and loved ones of Mayor Sabal.