(CNN) A controversial Philippines mayor who gained notoriety for parading people arrested on drug offenses was shot and killed by a sniper at a flag-raising ceremony at Tanauan City Hall on Monday morning.

Tanauan City Mayor Antonio Halili was killed by a single shot to the chest from an unknown assailant, Police Superintendent Renato Mercado told CNN. The killing was captured on a video that showed scenes of panic seconds after the shot was fired.

In the video, Halili is seen standing in a line with government employees as the flag is raised and those in attendance sing the national anthem. ​

As the camera strays to film another group, a single shot rings out, followed by screams and a woman's voice, saying "Oh my God" in English. While the victim is not seen on camera after the shot is fired, the content of the video could be upsetting to some viewers.

The mayor's security returned fire, according to state media Philippines News Agency (PNA), causing panic as government officials and staff ran for cover.

Gerry Laresma, the government employee who shot the video, told PNA it wasn't clear where the shot had originated. He said Halili had received death threats because of his strong anti-crime push.

Vice Mayor Jhoanna Corona-Villamor told CNN that she saw the gunshot hit him "right in the middle of his chest" and, through her fear, worried that he might not survive. Then she fled.

"When I saw everyone running, I started running -- I went inside City Hall. I was still in panic, then I heard more gunshots. I asked my staff to check if there were more (people) hurt; thank God no one else was," said Corona-Villamor.

"The gunshots were actually from the mayor's security hoping they would hit the suspect as they fired towards the direction where the gunshot came from," she added.

The flag in front of Tanauan City Hall flies at half-staff following the murder of Mayor Antonio Halili.

She said that she was still shaken by the experience.

"Who wouldn't be scared when the mayor was shot right beside me and in full view of everyone?

"Everyone here is mourning, grieving ... we lost a great mayor,"​ she said.

Provincial Chief Superintendent Edward E. Caranza told PNA that the bullet was fired from a distance, most likely using a 5.56 or 7.62 caliber high-powered rifle.

Halili was declared dead at the Reyes Memorial Hospital in the city less that an hour after the shot was fired around 8 a.m. Monday (8 p.m. Sunday ET), attending physician Alexander Carandang said.

Philippine National Police Chief Director General Oscar Albayalde said that a regional special task group had been convened to investigate the killing, according to CNN affiliate CNN Philippines , and that the suspect parades were being considered as a motive.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque condemned the killing, saying that Halili was an ally of President Rodrigo Duterte, and that justice would be served, CNN Philippines reported.

A number of checkpoints have been set up across the city and in nearby towns, according to Police Superintendent Renato Mercado. Additionally, the regional police in Batangas put in place "Oplan Iron Curtain" -- a dragnet for suspects -- but Mercado said that there had been no results so far.

Shocked city employees mourned the loss of the well-liked figure. "We did not just lose a mayor but a father," one told CNN, adding that he always greeted them with a cheery "good morning" upon arriving at City Hall.

His assistant, Malen Calimahad, worked for him for five years and said she'd miss "the mayor's jokes. He was a happy person." She said that he'd been under the weather for the past few days but came in anyway, such was his dedication.

Mayor Halili's aide Carlos Mojares looks at his boss' awards and trophies. He says Halili was incredibly proud of his collection.

The 'Duterte of Batangas'

The prisoners who were paraded had confessed to drug offenses but had not been formally charged, Halili told CNN in an interview in 2016.

Halili started the contentious policy in 2014 with the help of his 70-strong "anti-crime group," government officials who dressed in all black and patrolled the streets, some armed with their own guns.

He came to prominence in a zero-tolerance climate for drug offenses in the country, led by Duterte's infamous war on drugs, which has seen thousands of suspected drug users and dealers gunned down by police and vigilantes.

Halili identified strongly with the controversial leader -- "They call me the 'Duterte of Batangas,'" he told CNN in 2016, referring to the province in which Tanauan is located -- and said he was a proud supporter of Duterte and his controversial policies.

It was revealed Monday that Halili had been stripped of his authority over local police since October 2017 on an order from the Department of Interior, Police Chief Superintendent Mercado told CNN.

Halili had also been previously placed on a "narco list" -- a list of people allegedly associated with the drug trade -- by the National Police Commission, Philippines News Agency reported

Advocacy organization Human Rights Watch condemned the killing.

"The killing this morning of Tanauan City mayor Antonio Halili, like the thousands of killings in the 'war on drugs' of the Duterte administration, demands immediate and thorough investigation by Philippine authorities," said a statement released by the group.

"While we did not agree with Mayor Halili's method of dealing with crime and illegal drugs in his city, his murder is condemnable. He may have deprived many Tanauan residents of due process but that doesn't mean he should be deprived of it too."

Even before Duterte came to power Halili had made a name for himself with the controversial perp walks.

Corona-Villamor said that Halili's campaign against illegal drugs would "definitely" continue.

"I am calling on President Duterte to help Tanauan and its people to get justice for the good mayor," she said.

Tightrope

When CNN spoke to Halili in 2016, the colorful mayor -- his office at City Hall features a framed, photoshopped picture of him as Iron Man from the Marvel movies -- had recently embarked upon his second term in Tanauan, a bustling city south of the capital Manila.

He said he had stopped the practice of parading suspects, known in local media as the "walk of shame," when Duterte took office, saying that he didn't "want police to misconstrue" his actions.

"Somehow there is a lot of confusion. The President will say 'I will kill them all' then backtrack. So as a mayor it can be confusing what to do."

He said that over the course of his first term he had held around eight or nine parades of suspects. "We parade rapists, thieves," alongside drug offenders, he said. "Just those who do wrong."</s>A provincial city mayor known for parading drug suspects in public but also alleged to have drug ties himself has been shot dead during a flag-raising ceremony in the Philippines in front of horrified employees.

Mayor Antonio Halili, of Tanauan City in Batangas province, south of Manila, was gunned down by an unidentified attacker and died on the way to hospital, Philippine National Police chief Oscar Albayalde said. The gunman escaped.

“They did not see anybody approach him. They just heard a gunshot so the assumption or allegation was it could have been a sniper shot,” Mr Albayalde told a news conference, adding that an investigation was under way.

Dozens of employees and officials scrambled to safety when the gunfire rang out as they were singing the national anthem outside city hall.

The bullet hit a mobile phone in Mr Halili’s coat pocket and then pierced his chest, police said.

Officers were scouring a nearby elevated grassy area, where the gunman may been standing when he fired the shot.</s>Antonio Halili, the Mayor of Philippines’ Tanauan City, who had controversially paraded suspects arrested for drug offences, was shot dead by a sniper at a flag-raising ceremony at the Tanauan City Hall.

Halili was killed on Monday by a single shot to the chest from an unknown assailant, Police Superintendent Renato Mercado told agencies.

A video recorded by a government employee, Gerry Laresma, captured the commotion that ensued following the sniper’s shot.

Vice Mayor Jhoanna Corona-Villamor stated that she had seen the gunshot hit Halili “right in the middle of his chest”.

She said that she fled inside the City Hall following the gunshot and that there were more shots fired by the mayor’s security personnel, who had fired in the direction from where the sniper’s shot came from.

Halili was taken to the Reyes Memorial Hospital, where he was declared dead.

Philippine National Police Chief Director General Oscar Albayalde confirmed that a regional special task group was constituted to investigate the killing. He also mentioned that the parading of suspects was also being considered as a motive behind the killing.</s>July 2 (UPI) -- The mayor of a Philippines city was shot dead during a flag raising ceremony on Monday, police confirmed.

Tanauan City Mayor Antonio Halili was killed by a single shot to the chest by an unknown assailant, Police Superintendent Renato Mercado told CNN.

The shooting occurred halfway through the singing of the Philippines' national anthem, Lupang Hinirang, at around 8:00 am local time in Tanauan City, which is located about 42 miles south of Manila, the Philippines capital.

A video of the event was posted to Facebook, which shows several people standing next to teach other with their hands on their heart as the anthem plays. The camera moves away from Halili moments before a gunshot is heard and panic ensues.

Calabarzon Police Chief Superintendent Edward Carranza said a sniper might have been responsible for the death.

"We immediately formed a task force to handle the case," Carranza said, according to local news site PhilStar.

No suspects have been arrested and motives are unknown.

Halili might have been best known for his controversial practice of parading alleged drug dealers in public in what was known as the "walk of shame." Many of those placed in the walk of shame had not been formally charged but had allegedly confessed to selling drugs, he told CNN in 2016.

Halili's zero-tolerance approach to drugs was seen as similar to that of Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte, of whom he was a strong supporter.

"They call me the 'Duterte of Batangas,'" Halili previously said.</s>In this photo taken Monday, July 18, 2016, Tanauan City Mayor Antonio Halili, addresses residents who voluntarily surrendered following the flag-raising rites at the city's gymnasium at Tanauan city, Batangas province south of Manila, Philippines. On Monday, July 2, 2018, Philippine police say Halili, who became known for parading drug suspects in public but also alleged to have drug ties himself was shot to death during a flag-raising ceremony in front of horrified employees. less

In this photo taken Monday, July 18, 2016, Tanauan City Mayor Antonio Halili, addresses residents who voluntarily surrendered following the flag-raising rites at the city's gymnasium at Tanauan city, Batangas ... more

In this photo taken Monday, July 18, 2016, Tanauan City Mayor Antonio Halili, prays in his office prior to leading the flag-raising rites at the city's gymnasium at Tanauan city, Batangas province south of Manila, Philippines. On Monday, July 2, 2018, Philippine police say Halili, who became known for parading drug suspects in public but also alleged to have drug ties himself was shot to death during a flag-raising ceremony in front of horrified employees. less

In this photo taken Monday, July 18, 2016, Tanauan City Mayor Antonio Halili, prays in his office prior to leading the flag-raising rites at the city's gymnasium at Tanauan city, Batangas province south of ... more

In this photo taken Monday, July 18, 2016, Tanauan City Mayor Antonio Halili, addresses city government officials and employees during flag-raising rites at the city's gymnasium at Tanauan City, Batangas province south of Manila, Philippines. On Monday, July 2, 2018, Philippine police say Halili, who became known for parading drug suspects in public but also alleged to have drug ties himself was shot to death during a flag-raising ceremony in front of horrified employees. less

In this photo taken Monday, July 18, 2016, Tanauan City Mayor Antonio Halili, addresses city government officials and employees during flag-raising rites at the city's gymnasium at Tanauan City, Batangas ... more

In this image made from video, Philippines Mayor Antonio Halili is seen on the ground after being shot during a flag-raising ceremony, Monday, July 2, 2018, in Tanauan city, south of Manila, Philippines. Mayor Halili known for parading drug suspects in public but also alleged to have drug ties himself was shot and killed by a sniper Monday in a brazen attack in front of horrified employees and village leaders. (AP less

In this image made from video, Philippines Mayor Antonio Halili is seen on the ground after being shot during a flag-raising ceremony, Monday, July 2, 2018, in Tanauan city, south of Manila, Philippines. Mayor ... more

TANAUAN, Philippines (AP) — A Philippine city mayor known for parading drug suspects in public but also alleged to have drug ties himself was shot and killed by a sniper Monday in a brazen attack during a flag-raising ceremony in front of hundreds of horrified employees and village leaders.

The apparent lone gunshot felled Mayor Antonio Halili of Tanauan city in Batangas province south of Manila as he and about 300 employees and newly elected village leaders sang the national anthem in a parking lot outside the city hall. The gunman escaped, police and witnesses said.

"I didn't know that it was gunfire until people started screaming 'Somebody's shooting, somebody's shooting' while running in all directions and I saw my mayor slumped on the ground," said village leader Rico Alcazar, who was in a crowd standing behind the 72-year-old Halili. "Everybody was shocked and it took sometime before some carried the mayor and brought him away in a car."

Halili's bodyguards opened fire toward a grassy hill where the gunshot was apparently fired, adding to the bedlam, Alcazar said by phone.

Cellphone video shot by Alcazar shows a few men standing around the fallen Halili as gunfire rings out continuously and people cry, scream, run and take cover during the melee. A man yells, 'The mayor is dead, the mayor was shot,' and another desperately calls for a car to take Halili to a hospital. A third man starts blaming his companions for the security breach.

"They did not see anybody approach him. They just heard a gunshot, so the assumption or allegation was it could have been a sniper shot," the national police chief, Director-General Oscar Albayalde, said at a news conference in Manila, adding that an investigation was underway.

The bullet hit a cellphone in Halili's coat pocket then pierced his chest, police said. Policemen scoured the hill but failed to find the gunman.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte expressed suspicion in a speech that the killing was linked to illegal drugs.

Two years ago, Halili ordered drug suspects to be paraded in public in Tanauan, a small city about 70 kilometers (43 miles) south of Manila, in a campaign that was dubbed "walks of shame." The suspects were forced to wear cardboard signs that read "I'm a pusher, don't emulate me" in a campaign that alarmed human rights officials.

Officials, however, also linked Halili to illegal drugs and removed his control over city police. Halili strongly denied the allegation and said at the time that he would resign and would be willing to be publicly paraded as a drug suspect if authorities could come up with evidence to support the allegation.

Tanauan information officer Gerardo Laresma said Halili had received death threats "left and right" from unknown people prior to the attack. Presidential spokesman Harry Roque condemned the violence.

Halili's unusual campaign drew attention at a time of growing alarm over the rising number of killings of drug suspects under Duterte. Since Duterte took office in 2016, more than 4,200 drug suspects had been killed in clashes with police, alarming human rights groups, Western governments and U.N. rights watchdogs.

Duterte said the suspects died because they opened fire and sparked gunbattles with authorities, although human rights groups have accused police of extrajudicial killings.

Halili's killing came a few weeks after a Catholic priest was shot and killed while preparing to celebrate Mass at the altar of a village chapel in northern Nueva Ecija province. Police announced Monday that four suspects in the killing of the Rev. Richmond Nilo have been taken into custody.

Sen. Panfilo Lacson, a former national police chief, urged the police to impose stricter firearms control in light of the killings.

"The killing of priests, prosecutors and former and incumbent local officials in broad daylight and in full view of the public may be suggestive of the impunity and brazenness of those responsible for such acts," Lacson said.

"The Philippine National Police should feel challenged, if not taunted," he said. "And they must immediately consider stricter firearms control strategies before similar killings could reach ubiquitous levels."

Associated Press writer Jim Gomez in Manila, Philippines, contributed to this report.</s>Videos appeared on social media showing the Philippine mayor of Tanauan city in Batangas province south of Manila was shot and killed by a sharp shooter during a flag-raising ceremony in front of hundreds of people on Monday.

The Philippine mayor Antonio Halili who paraded drug suspects in public but was alleged to have ties with drug dealers was killed by a sniper Monday in an attack during a flag-raising ceremony in front of hundreds of horrified employees and village leaders.

According to a report by AP, the apparent lone gunshot felled Mayor of Tanauan city as he and about 300 employees and newly elected village leaders sang the national anthem in a parking lot outside the city hall. The gunman escaped, police officials and witnesses said.

Cellphone video shot by Alcazar shows a few men standing around the fallen Halili as gunfire rings out continuously and people cry, scream, run and take cover during the melee. A man yells, ‘The mayor is dead, the mayor was shot,’ and another desperately calls for a car to take Halili to the hospital. A third man starts blaming his companions for the security breach.

Two years ago, Halili ordered drug suspects to be paraded in public in Tanauan, a small city about 70 kilometers (43 miles) south of Manila, in a campaign that was dubbed “walks of shame.” The suspects were forced to wear cardboard signs that read “I’m a pusher, don’t emulate me” in a campaign that alarmed human rights officials.

Police officials, however, also linked Halili to illegal drugs, an allegation he strongly denied. He said at the time that he would resign and would be willing to be publicly paraded as a drug suspect if police could come up with evidence to support the allegation.

Investigators are trying to determine if the killing was linked to Halili’s anti-drug campaign.</s>TANAUAN CITY, Philippines — The controversial mayor of Philippines’ Tanauan City has been killed by a sniper, the city’s police chief said.

Mayor Antonio Halili, who gained notoriety for parading people arrested on drug offenses, was killed with a single shot to the chest from an unknown assailant, Police Superintendent Renato Mercado told CNN.

Halili was shot during a flag-raising ceremony in front of Tanauan City Hall shortly after 8 a.m. Monday (8 p.m. Sunday ET), and declared dead at the Reyes Memorial Hospital in the city less that an hour later, attending physician Alexander Carandang said.

Video purportedly of the event shows Halili standing in a line with government employees as the flag is raised and those in attendance sing the national anthem.

As the camera strays to film another group, a single shot rings out, followed by screams and a woman’s voice, saying “oh my God” in English. The victim is not seen on camera after the shot is fired.

Police currently do not have any suspects or motives for the killing, but Halili’s controversial practice of parading suspects through Tanauan had raised his profile.

Those paraded had confessed to drug offenses but had not been formally charged, he told CNN in an interview in 2016.

Halili started the contentious policy in 2014 with the help of his 70-strong “anti-crime group,” government officials who dressed in all black and patrolled the streets, some armed with their own guns.

He came to prominence in a zero-tolerance climate for drug offenses in the country, led by President Rodrigo Duterte’s infamous war on drugs, which has seen thousands of suspected drug users and dealers gunned down by police and vigilantes.

Halili identified strongly with the controversial leader — “They call me the ‘Duterte of Batangas,'” he told CNN in 2016, referring to the province in which Tanauan is located — and said he was a proud supporter of Duterte and his controversial policies.

However, even before Duterte came to power Halili had made a name for himself with the controversial perp walks.</s>A provincial city mayor known for parading drug suspects in public but also alleged to have drug ties himself has been shot dead during a flag-raising ceremony in the Philippines in front of horrified employees.

A provincial city mayor known for parading drug suspects in public but also alleged to have drug ties himself has been shot dead during a flag-raising ceremony in the Philippines in front of horrified employees.

Mayor Antonio Halili, of Tanauan City in Batangas province, south of Manila, was gunned down by an unidentified attacker and died on the way to hospital, Philippine National Police chief Oscar Albayalde said. The gunman escaped.

“They did not see anybody approach him. They just heard a gunshot so the assumption or allegation was it could have been a sniper shot,” Mr Albayalde told a news conference, adding that an investigation was under way.

Dozens of employees and officials scrambled to safety when the gunfire rang out as they were singing the national anthem outside city hall.

The bullet hit a mobile phone in Mr Halili’s coat pocket and then pierced his chest, police said.

Officers were scouring a nearby elevated grassy area, where the gunman may been standing when he fired the shot.

Mr Halili attracted controversy two years ago when he ordered drug suspects to be paraded in public in Tanauan, a small city about 43 miles (70km) south of Manila, in a campaign that was dubbed “walks of shame”.

The suspects were forced to wear cardboard signs that read “I’m a pusher, don’t emulate me” in a campaign that alarmed human rights officials.

Police, however, also linked Mr Halili to illegal drugs, an allegation he strongly denied.

He said at the time that he would resign and would be willing to be publicly paraded as a drug suspect if police could come up with evidence to support the allegation.

Mr Albayalde said investigators would try to determine if the killing was connected with Mr Halili’s anti-drug campaign.

The mayor’s unusual campaign drew attention at a time of growing alarm over the rising number of killings of drug suspects under President Rodrigo Duterte.

Since Mr Duterte took office in 2016, more than 4,200 drug suspects had been killed in clashes with police, alarming human rights groups, Western governments and UN rights watchdogs.

Human rights groups have reported much higher death tolls, although Mr Duterte and his officials have questioned the accuracy of those reports. They said the suspects died because they opened fire and sparked gun battles with authorities, but human rights groups have accused police of extrajudicial killings.

Mr Halili’s killing came a few weeks after a Catholic priest was shot dead while preparing to celebrate Mass in a village chapel in northern Nueva Ecija province.

Senator Panfilo Lacson, a former national police chief, urged the police to impose stricter firearms control in light of the killings.

“The killing of priests, prosecutors, and former and incumbent local officials in broad daylight and in full view of the public may be suggestive of the impunity and brazenness of those responsible for such acts,” he said.

“The Philippine National Police should feel challenged, if not taunted,” he said. “And they must immediately consider stricter firearms control strategies before similar killings could reach ubiquitous levels.”</s>A Philippines mayor, who paraded drug suspects around his city and at the same time allegedly had drug ties himself, was shot dead - possibly by a sniper - during a flag-raising event. The shocking murder was caught on video."The bullet went through his chest," Superintendent Renato Mercado, Tanuan police chief, told local media.In amateur footage Halili is seen standing in a line with government employees singing the national anthem "Lupang Hinirang" in front of city hall. As camera shifts to another group, a single shot is heard, followed by screams and people scattering.Warning: Disturbing video:However, the mayor was also suspected of ties with drug lords himself. The 'Narco-politician' was among scores of officials in the Duterte administration publicly linked to drugs and eventually stripped of police powers. He vehemently denied all allegations against him.Halili is the fourth 'narco' politician to be killed amid the Duterte's notorious war on drugs which the controversial Philippines leader has waged since he took his post in 2016.</s>A Philippine mayor who paraded suspected drug dealers through the streets of his city was shot dead on Monday while attending a weekly flag-raising ceremony for government officials, police said.

Mayor Antonio Halili was declared dead on arrival at hospital from a single bullet wound to the chest, sustained as he and civil servants sang the national anthem in Tanauan, a city in Batangas province southwest of the capital Manila.

“We are shocked, we are saddened,” Vice Mayor Jhoanna Villamor, who was standing beside Halili, told radio station DZBB after the shooting.

What appeared to be a smartphone video of the shooting went viral on social media, showing a single shot ringing out as the anthem played, then screaming and pandemonium.

Tanauan City Police Superintendent Renato Mercado told CNN that Halili was killed by a sniper, and another investigator told a radio station that a high-powered rifle was used in the attack.

Halili gained prominence for introducing a “walk of shame” parade of alleged drug dealers through his city of Tanauan.

Police say they have killed more than 4,200 suspected drug dealers during shoot-outs in a bloody war on drugs launched by President Rodrigo Duterte two years ago, a campaign condemned by domestic and international human rights groups.

Halili was stripped of his supervisory powers over local police in October 2017 due to a proliferation of illegal drugs in his city, amid allegations by the national police that he may have been involved.

In an interview with Reuters in August 2016 - the second month of the crackdown - he said he backed Duterte’s campaign but believed drug kingpins should be the main targets, otherwise thousands of people would be killed.

He expressed concern over the way police conducted the war on drugs and the reliability of their intelligence, and that he might be accused of colluding with narcotics gangs.

“No one is safe – mayors, governors, congressmen – just a false intelligence report by the police can end up with any of them being destroyed,” he said in the interview.

“I have a feeling they (police) are going after the small fry to frighten the people,” he said.
Antonio Halili, the mayor of Tanauan, Philippines, is shot dead by a sniper during a flag raising ceremony outside the city hall. Halili was known for parading people arrested on drug offenses through the city's streets.