What could be probable motives for killing mayors and vice mayors?

There have already been more than ten mayors and more than five vice mayors who were liquidated by unknown elements since the current government came into power. Of course, there is no hard evidence to connect those killings with the theory of extrajudicial killings, much less attribute those liquidations to the government. That would be, to borrow the lingo of famous defense lawyers, highly speculative, largely conjectural, and totally baseless. No one can come up with either a documentary or evidence to link any public official to any summary execution, especially those of the local government executives. All that we have are rumors and hushed whispers of speculations and allegations.

Theory number 1: Those mayors were liquidated by their political rivals. Historical accounts and anecdotal evidence indicate that all local elections are bloodier than national polls. Candidates for president, vice president, and senators do not really kill each other. They only indulge in character assassination, mud-slinging, and manipulation of vote counting machines. But killing their political opponents is much below their brand of politics. It is always the local polls that are more hotly contested even as they involve close relatives and neighbors. The pride and the honor of families and clans are at stake. Do you remember the killing of Julio Nalundasan and Ferdinand Marcos was then accused and convicted by the trial court for murder? It was a local political rivalry between Gregorio Aglipay's local bet for congressman, the father of Marcos, against Manuel Quezon’s candidate, Nalundasan, who won. Marcos was later acquitted by the Supreme Court, thanks to Justice Jose P. Laurel.

Remember also the bloody years of the Crisologos and the Singsons in Ilocos Sur, and the Espinosas in Masbate? The Imperials in Albay and the many clashes among clans in Lanao, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sulu, Basilan, and Tawitawi? Remember the killing of the doctor-cum-radio commentator in Palawan? The early history of Cebu politics between the Osmeñas and the Cuencos, the Osmeñas and the Duranos? Well, to be fair, the Osmeñas had never been linked to killings but their rivals were accused of guns, gold, and goons during those bloody years of past politics. Remember the “bungotons” who were allegedly goons terrorizing voters in the ‘50s? Only some baby boomers and veterans would recall those dark ages. The millennials are completely clueless about those shenanigans.

Theory number 2: Business rivalry. The mayor of General Tinio, Nueva Ecija, was allegedly eliminated due to rivalry in the quarrying business. Also the very recent killing in La Union was attributed to this.

Theory number 3: Love triangles. Some wives were being kept as mistresses by famous and powerful politicians. The husbands' revenge is through the barrel of a gun.

Theory number 4: Family bickering on inheritance and succession over real and personal properties.

Theory number 5: Links with drug lords, lawyering for those accused of drug trade. They might have been eliminated by the rivals of their clients or by their clients themselves, for knowing too much for comfort.

And so, you see, you cannot just blame the president if a mayor or a vice mayor is killed. Nobody is really directly accusing President Duterte of those things except perhaps senators de Lima and Trillanes and the president himself. But that is only by slip of the tongue and due to his difficulty in the Tagalog language, according to outgoing spokesman Harry Roque.