KIDAPAWAN CITY – Authorities are looking at politics as one of the motives behind the killing on Friday of Vice Mayor Pol Javier Dulay, 71, of Kabacan, North Cotabato.

Kabacan Police Chief Leo Ajero said they used as basis in their statement the information they gathered from Noel Dulay, one of the victim’s children.

Noel told authorities his father was a friendly person who has no enemies since he entered politics more than a decade ago after he retired from the Philippine National Police (PNP).

Noel said the closest motive was politics.

Ajero also attested to the veracity of Noel’s account.

“Noel was true in saying his father had no enemies. I am a friend of Vice-Mayor Dulay. During the many conversations we had in the past, he has not mentioned any threats in his life. The last time we talked was just few days ago,” Ajero said.

But as to who masterminded the killing of Dulay remains a puzzle to authorities.

“Politics is just one angle. We do not stop our investigation there,” Ajero said. Dulay has been in politics for 15 years.

He completed his three terms as councilor of Kabacan in 2010, after which, he ran as vice-mayor and won.

He is seeking re-election and running mate of re-electionist Mayor George Tan under the Liberal Party and is pitted against Datumaidu Sultan, an independent candidate.

On Friday, at around 3 p.m., Dulay was to board his motorcycle parked just outside MC Square located on USM Avenue in Poblacion, Kabacan, when a still unidentified gunman pumped bullets into his chest.
The assassin, after seeing his target as dead, walked casually to an accomplice waiting in a motorcycle parked nearby.

They fled to unknown direction, reports said.

Authorities recovered from the scene three slugs from a .45 caliber pistol, which police said were used to kill the vice-mayor.