Iligan City lawmaker hurt, 3 killed in ambush

MANILA, Philippines - Iligan City Rep. Vicente Belmonte and three others survived while three of his aides were killed after unidentified armed men ambushed their vehicles near the Laguindingan Airport in Poblacion, Misamis Oriental yesterday afternoon.

Police said Belmonte, a distant relative of Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr., suffered a cut in the hand apparently when he was hit by glass splinters from his vehicle.

The congressman and the other wounded victims were brought to a hospital in Cagayan de Oro City.

Two of the three fatalities were identified as Police Officer 2 Marcus Agtina Andres and civilian staff member Yoyong.

Senior Superintendent Leonilo Cabug, Misamis Oriental police director, said three persons were killed and four others wounded in the ambush.

Superintendent Bernard Mendoza, public information officer of the Philippine National Police in Central Mindanao, said the incident took place at around 1:30 p.m. yesterday along Laguindingan Road in Purok 8, Poblacion, Misamis Oriental.

Mendoza said the congressman’s group had just arrived at the airport from Manila and were on their way to Iligan City in two vans when they were attacked.

Witnesses said the gunmen blocked the convoy of the lawmaker and strafed it.

The suspects immediately fled.

After an hour, Mendoza said, the suspects’ van was abandoned and torched apparently to destroy evidence.

Rep. Belmonte told ANC that the ambush could be politically motivated, adding that he had recently received threats to his life.

Speaker Belmonte and other House leaders condemned the attack on the Iligan lawmaker.

“This is a very serious concern. Several people have fired their guns from different directions as per phone conversation with Congressman Varf Belmonte. We are calling on Camp Crame to exert best efforts. Political rivalry is probably behind it,” the Speaker said.

Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez said the authorities must act swiftly on the case.

Majority Leader and Mandaluyong City Rep. Neptali Gonzales II described the incident as “disturbing and alarming” as the 2016 election is fast approaching.

Rejoice Suvejano, lawyer and spokesman for Rep. Belmonte, had earlier claimed in a television interview that four were killed in the attack but police said only three died.

Suvejano said they have further improved the security measures for the lawmaker to ensure his safety.

“We have doubled the security for the congressman. We are ensuring the lawmaker is safe. We are apprehensive that since the killers failed to kill the congressman at this time, they would surely come back to attack him again,” said Suvejano during the TV interview.

Suvejano said the attack against Belmonte was politically motivated and planned by his political rivals.

Army troops were deployed yesterday to conduct clearing and pursuit operations against the attackers of Belmonte.

Maj. Christian Uy, spokesman for the Cagayan de Oro-based 4th Infantry Division, said that shortly after the ambush, troops were dispatched to the area to assist the police in securing the place, as well as to track down the assailants.

“For now, we’re still clueless as to the identities of the suspects. Police are conducting an investigation,” Uy said.

He said the area where the ambush took place was a kilometer away from the main highway going to Cagayan de Oro and Iligan City.

Travelers from the Laguindingan Airport have to traverse a four-kilometer road toward the main highway en route to Cagayan de Oro or Iligan City. – With Paolo Romero, Jaime Laude