PNP relieves Daraga police chief after Batocabe slay

MANILA, Philippines— The police chief of Daraga, Albay on Sunday was relieved from his post following the ambush of Rep. Rodel Batocabe (Ako Bicol party-list) on Saturday,  according to the Bicol Philippine National Police Public Information Office.

News 5 reported that the relief of Chief Superintendent Benito Dipad was upon the orders of Director General Oscar Albayalde, PNP chief. Administrative relief is not the same as separation from service.

Superintendent Dennis Balla will reportedly serve as acting Daraga police chief.

Sen. Nancy Binay has meanwhile called on the Commission on Elections to declare the province of Albay an election hotpsot, "given the recent spate of violence in the province [and] with the killing of two mediamen allegedly due to politics earlier this year.

"In recent months, election-related killings and murders have increased, but if we don't act on these cases, no amount of condemnation would bring justice to the victims and their families," Binay said in a statement in English and Filipino.

Congressman shot at gift-giving event

Batocabe and his 52-year-old police escort SPO1 Orlando Diaz were shot dead by unidentified assailant in a remote village Barangay Burgos, Daraga, Albay on Saturday.

The solon attended a gift-giving event for senior citizens and persons with disabilities held in a covered basketball court of Burgos Elementary School when two masked men shot them at close-range.

 Diaz was dead on the spot while Batocabe was rushed to a private hospital in Legazpi City but succumbed to multiple gunshot wounds while he was being treated.

Batocabe, a three-term partylist representative, is a candidate for the mayoral race n his hometown of Daraga.

He previously became a member of the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal and Joint Congressional Power Commission.

Batocabe was also a member of several House committees, including justice, ways and means, transportation, natural resources, games and amusement, tourism, housing and urban development and health. —Rosette Adel