Senator is linked to Manila police officer's murder

A controversial Philippine senator has been accused of silencing his former aide so that he would not detail the senator's alleged criminal activities.

Police Chief Inspector John Campos was shot dead by several gunmen early yesterday morning at a restaurant in suburban Manila. He suffered 18 bullet wounds.

His former live-in lover, Mary Ong, blamed his death on Senator Panfilo Lacson - a former Philippine National Police chief - who faces charges over the killing of several criminal suspects. He is also accused of graft over alleged kidnap-for-ransom activities involving Hong Kong nationals.

However, Antonio Cabanban, a friend of Campos who was with the police inspector at the restaurant when he was assassinated, said Ms Ong should not be ruled out as a suspect. He claimed Campos had mentioned to him a number of times that he was getting death threats, and that Ms Ong often harassed him. He ruled out Senator Lacson's role in the murder.

Ms Ong was once a police operative. She has claimed that she came to Hong Kong to buy drugs that would have been used in entrapment operations. She said her supervisors instead sold the drugs for personal gain.

Yesterday, Ms Ong said: 'Ping [Lacson's nickname] was afraid that if John Campos talked, that would be the end of his presidential ambition.'