Halili killer need not be a sniper, says expert

MANILA, Philippines — A former sharpshooter of the Manila Police District (MPD) revealed yesterday that the killer of Tanuan City mayor Antonio Halili could be a sharp-shooting assassin and may not necessarily have been a sniper as earlier reported.

Tagaytay City regional trial court Executive Judge Jaime Santiago, former chief of the MPD Special Weapons and Tactics unit, believes that the mayor’s killer could have used a firearm like an M16 rifle.

“Given the proximity or distance from where the shooter was positioned to where mayor Halili was standing, it need not be a sniper,” he explained to The STAR.

“An ordinary shooter could do it from that distance – even if it’s from higher ground,” stressed Santiago, who was so popular as a sharpshooter during his stint in the police service that his life story was turned into a movie in 1996 entitled “SPO4 Santiago” that starred former senator Bong Revilla.

Santiago could even hit a target behind him by using the reflection on his watch.

His office is decorated with an M16 rifle and a shotgun. He keeps a .45 caliber pistol with him all the time, even when hearing cases in the court room.

Police reenactment on Thursday of Halili’s killing showed that the assassin was positioned on higher ground in a grassy area near the Tanauan City Hall.

The mayor was shot dead last Monday by an alleged sniper in front of horrified fellow government workers during flag-raising ceremonies at city hall grounds.

No suspect has been arrested.

President Duterte had accused Halili of involvement in illegal drugs but the mayor and his relatives denied the President’s allegations.

Using a range finder, investigators found that the gunman was on an elevation 4.1 meters from the ground and the shot was fired at a distance of 76.8 meters from Halili.

This was contrary to initial reports that the killer was about 150 meters away from the target, which had investigators theorizing that the assassin was a trained sniper.

An empty shell of a 5.56 mm bullet was found in the grassy area where the gunman was positioned, according to police, who said such bullet is used for an M16 rifle.

Santiago also pointed out that if the killer were a trained sniper, he would have easily targeted Halili’s head.

The mayor died from a single gunshot in his chest.

Santiago said there are trained snipers in the country, “but in mayor Halili’s case, you don’t need one to do that.”