South Cotabato town mayor shot dead

Francis Canlas, ABS-CBN News

Posted at Jul 10 2020 11:00 AM | Updated as of Jul 10 2020 11:23 AM

South Cotabato town mayor shot dead 1
Gunmen kills Sto. Niño, South Cotabato mayor Pablo Matinong Jr. while he was inspecting a infrastructure project in Barangay Poblacion. Photo courtesy of Vince Pale

Unidentified riding-in-tandem gunmen shot and killed the mayor of Santo Niño town in South Cotabato Friday morning. 

Initial report said Mayor Pablo Matinong Jr. visited the site of an infrastructure project in Purok Libertad in Barangay Poblacion when the gunmen approached and shot him in the head.

Before leaving, the gunmen shot him again in the body.

Matinong had no security escort with him during the incident.

Police brought the mayor to a clinic but he was declared dead on arrival.

Authorities are still conducting an investigation into the incident.