AKLAN – Senior Municipal Councilor Nestor Francisco Inocencio has officially taken his oath as vice mayor of Ibajay, just three days after the brutal killing of the late Vice Mayor Julio Estolloso inside the Sangguniang Bayan (SB) office last August 8.
Inocencio was sworn in on Monday, August 11, at the Sangguniang Bayan (SB) session hall — the same office where Estolloso was gunned down — with Mayor Jose Miguel Miraflores administering the ceremony. His assumption of office follows Section 44, Chapter II of the Local Government Code of 1991, which provides that the highest-ranking municipal councilor shall succeed in the event of a permanent vacancy.
Elected as the top councilor in the May 2025 elections, Inocencio also serves as interim president of the Philippine Councilors League–Aklan Chapter and sits as an ex-officio member of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan.
In his remarks, Inocencio remembered Estolloso as both a friend and a dedicated public servant.
Meanwhile, the municipal flag was flown at half-mast, while employees wore black armbands in mourning. Estolloso’s interment is scheduled for August 25.
Security has been tightened at the town hall since the incident, with police enforcing a “one entry, one exit” policy for the safety of officials and employees.
On the other hand, Ibajay police reports revealed that Estolloso sustained a total of 18 gunshot wounds — including both entry and exit wounds — in the attack. He was seated at the time and was struck in the chest, right shoulder, side, and back. Three slugs were recovered from his chest during the autopsy.
Sangguniang Bayan member Mihrel Senatin, a political ally of the victim, was identified as the suspect. Authorities said Senatin entered the vice mayor’s office on August 8 and shot him multiple times with a Glock 17 pistol. The councilor tested positive in a paraffin test but negative in a drug test, according to police reports.
Investigations into the motive and circumstances of the killing were ongoing. No replacement has yet been named for the SB seat vacated by Inocencio’s promotion./PN
