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CHR probes killings of local officials, poll bet in Zamboanga del Sur, Maguindanao


The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) said Thursday it is investigating the killings of local officials and a candidate for the 2025 midterm elections in Zamboanga del Sur and Maguindanao.

In a statement Wednesday, CHR reported that two councilors were fatally gunned down in Zamboanga del Sur on January 3 and 4.

Meanwhile, a barangay chairman in Maguindanao del Sur was shot dead last Jan.3.

In Midsayap, Cotabato, an aspiring councilor died in an ambush while he was riding home on a motorcycle last Jan. 18. The victim, a resident of Maguindanao del Norte, was also a former chairman and councilor of Barangay Paulino Labio. 

Authorities are trying to determine if the killings were politically motivated.

“We denounce similar incidents which violate the most fundamental of all rights—the right to life—this time affecting public officials and candidates as we approach the 2025 National and Local Elections,” CHR said.

“The Commission expresses its utmost concern on the recurring reports of local officials being attacked and killed, as these undermine the integrity and effectiveness of public service and cultivates a culture of fear and violence in communities,” it added.

The election period began on January 12 while Election Day will be on May 12.—Mariel Celine Serquiña/RF, GMA Integrated News

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