The Commission on Human Rights denounces the ambush killing of Clarin, Misamis Occidental Mayor David Navarro in Cebu City, and calls on the Philippine National Police and concerned agencies to conduct an immediate and thorough investigation of the case.

The Commission does not condone the assault charges filed against Mayor Navarro from allegedly beating a massage therapist in Cebu City but this incident does not in any way justify his death. The Commission will look into the angle of drug-related killing as Mayor Navarro was identified in the alleged narco-politician list which the administration publicly released in March 2019. Such arbitrary deprivation of life without due process of the law must never be tolerated.

The CHR Regional Office X is already conducting its own independent investigation while the Commission assures the public that it will remain faithful to its constitutional mandate to uphold the rights of everyone without discrimination.