Police form task force to probe Calbayog mayor's killing

A special regional police task force has been formed to investigate the killing of Calbayog City (Samar) Mayor Reynaldo Uy during a fiesta in the province over the weekend. On Monday, Eastern Visayas police head Chief Superintendent Arnold Revilla said he has given the task force instructions to look into the possible motives behind Uy’s assassination. "Yun ang layunin ng special investigation task group na binuo para maresolba kaagad ang pagpatay sa mayor ng Calbayog City (Getting to the bottom of the case is the priority of the special investigation task group we formed)," Revilla said in an interview on dzRH radio. Uy was shot dead while attending a town fiesta in Hinabangan town at 9:30 p.m. Saturday. Recall elections On Sunday, President Benigno Aquino III ordered the police and the military to ensure that violence will not erupt in Samar following the killing of Uy. At a press conference after a Labor Day breakfast forum at Malacañang, Aquino said the incident maybe politically motivated, noting that there will be a recall election in the province. "May political tensions ang pagkakaintindi ko sa kanilang probinsya. Meron yatang ongoing or there will be a recall campaign. And I understand that Mayor Uy is planning to run if a recall would have prospered and the subsequent election would happen. The two people injured last night were the prospective governor and vice gubernatorial candidates," he said, referring to the two survivors in the ambush. Uy was a member of Aquino’s Liberal Party. Motives An initial investigation showed the vehicle bearing the suspect pulled up near the venue during the program. Revilla said they are still looking into politics as one of the likely motives, but added they are still not discounting other possibilities. "Ang guidance sa amin kasi, basehan lang natin sa ebidensyang makakalap natin. Mahirap mag-speculate sa stage na ito ng investigation (The guidance to us is that we should base our investigation on the evidence gathered. It is difficult to speculate at this stage)," he said. — RSJ, GMA News