Lawmaker and bodyguard shot dead at Christmas event

A Philippine congressman was gunned down at a Christmas celebration yesterday, police said, the latest violence in a country notorious for deadly political rivalries.Rodel Batocabe had just finished handing out presents in the central town of Daraga when the lawmaker and his police bodyguard were shot dead by a gunman hiding in the crowd, regional police official Arnel Escobel said. The motive was not immediately clear, but authorities said they were looking into whether the killing could be politically motivated. Batocabe had announced plans to run for mayor in Daraga in midterm elections due in May, when the Philippines will choose local, regional and national representatives. Philippine polls are frequently marred by violence as politicians resort to force and intimidation to win positions that will give them power and influence in a nation where nearly a quarter of the population lives on less than $2 a day.Escobel said Batocabe, who was elected to the lower House of Representatives in 2010, had recently voiced concern that rivals in the mayoral race were using armed groups to influence the vote.Over the years, several Philippine congress members have been attacked or murdered by suspected rivals.The most recent case was legislator Wahab Akbar who was killed along with two aides when a bomb exploded outside the House of Representatives building in November 2007. A year earlier, Congressman Luis Bersamin was shot dead outside a church in a Manila suburb.  Grace Poe, a member of the Senate, denounced the latest killing, saying: “This sorry history in our nation of political violence must stop.”TASK GROUP TO PROBE KILLINGMeanwhile, a Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) has been created to quickly resolve the killing of Ako Bicol representative Rodel Batocabe, Director General Oscar Albayalde, chief of the Philippine National Police, said. “I have directed the creation of a Special Investigation Task Group to mobilise all available resources and to orchestrate all aspects of investigation to ensure that justice is served as soon as possible to both the victims and their families,” Albayalde said in a statement, Philippine Daily Inquirer reported.According to the PNP chief, the organisation condemns the killing of Batocabe and his security escort. “The Philippine National Police strongly condemns the fatal shooting of AKO Bicol Party List representative Rodel Batocabe and his Security Escort, SPO1 Rolando Diaz while attending a gift giving for senior and PWD citizens this afternoon in Daraga, Albay,” Albayalde said.“We express our deepest sympathy to the bereaved families of representative Batocabe and SPO1 Diaz even as we vowed to get to the bottom of this sad incident,” he added.He also asked the public to co-ordinate with the authorities to help in the investigation of the incident.“We appeal to the public to immediately report to the police any information that could lead us to the perpetrators and to help us quickly solve this case,” Albayalde said.