The mayor of Placer, Masbate has been charged with murder, along with five co-accused in the killing of his election rival, Carlo Cencero, last April 18, police said Thursday.

Superintendent Eliciar Bron, spokesman of the Police Regional Office 5 (PRO5), said Mayor Judd Lanete, three of his political supporters and two of his police escorts were named in the charges brought before the Masbate Provincial Prosecutors Office.

Bron said evidence and testimonies gathered by investigators linked Lanete to the crime soon after his police escorts, Police Officers 1 Gilbert T. Pantingan and Cyril Cordova were tagged by witnesses.

“It was Pantingan who was pinpointed by three witnesses as the gunman of Cencero,” he said.

A deeper investigation linked Lanete’s political allies – Barangay Kagawad Junjun Malazarte, a certain “Barok Tan” and one “Bebot Dobungko” – in the conspiracy to kill Lanete’s rival in his bid for reelection.

Bron said the PRO5 has already recommended the recall of all security escorts assigned to Lanete.

Police and military forces have also been beefed up in Masbate, a perennial security headache for police due to its history of political violence during elections.