The killing of Calbayog City Mayor Ronaldo Aquino should be a wake-up call to the country, Vice President Leni Robredo said on Tuesday, March 9, as she called for an investigation to bring the perpetrators to justice.

Robredo, an outspoken critic of the administration, lamented the people have become desensitized to the culture of impunity and violence in the Philippines.

“Hindi normal ang pagpaslang na ito (This killing is not normal). It should not be treated as normal that mayors, community organizers, lawyers, judges, journalists, children, and even victims of the drug trade are outright murdered in our streets or in their homes,” she said in a statement.

“We must connect the dots between these gruesome deaths and see the web that enables and emboldens these killings: Impunity, the normalization and incitement of violence, and the kill, kill, kill rhetoric coming from the highest offices,” Robredo added.

The vice president noted the death of Aquino came a day after the bloody raids by the police in Calabarzon that left at least nine activists dead and six others arrested. Aquino was reportedly on his way to the birthday celebration of his son last Monday, March 8, when he was killed by unidentified gunmen in Barangay Lonoy.

His close-in security and driver also died in the attack.

There were claims the mayor died in an ambush, but it was actually a shoot-out, prompting the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to look into the matter.

An opposition leader, Robredo vowed to continuously stand up against human rights violations and abuses under the Duterte regime.

“Hindi kami mapapagod magsalita. Hindi kami titigil sa paggigiit ng karapatan at dignidad at halaga ng buhay ng bawat tao (We won’t get tired of speaking out. We won’t stop upholding the right, dignity, and value of every human life),” she said.

The vice president then called for a “clean, competent, and independent” investigation into Aquino’s death so that justice will be served to him and his family.