Philippine mayor, 3 others killed at airport

"A mayor from the southern Philippines, his wife and two others have been fatally shot in a daring attack at a Manila airport terminal that also wounded four other people."

The brazen airport attack by two motorcycle-riding men must have been fairly well planned as they escaped.

Manila airport General Manager Jose Angel Honrado says men on a motorcycle fired at Labangan Mayor Ukol Talumpa and his wife as they stepped out of Terminal 3 on Friday. He says they were declared dead on arrival at a nearby air base hospital along with two others, including a 1 ½-year-old boy. It was not immediately clear if they were related to the mayor. The gunmen escaped.

But this was not the first time an attempt had been made on the Mayor's life--there had been two other attempts.


STRIKE THREE. Labangan, Zamboanga del Sur Mayor Ukol Talumpa didn't survive the third attempt to assasinate him.

Speculation has it his death is drug related

In a Philippine Star report, his wife revealed that he began receiving death threats after he won as vice mayor of Labangan that year. He ran as an independent candidate; it was his first try in elections. During his time as vice mayor, he raised the issue of serious drug abuse in his town, despite having the military's 1st Infantry Division headquarters there.

Story:
www.rappler.com...

I wasn't aware of this political figure, but perhaps someone else might complete the picture of this man. Is he a martyr or were there business or political motivations behind this?