Provincial peace council condemns ambush on Marawi mayor

MARAWI CITY, Philippines - The inter-agency Lanao del Sur Provincial Peace and Order Council on Monday condemned the ambush on Marawi City Mayor Fahad Salic in Cagayan de Oro City before dawn on Saturday.

Salic, candidate for governor of Lanao del Sur, and his driver Kaer Gunting were both wounded in the attack.

Marawi City is the capital of Lanao del Sur and seat of the provincial government, which has jurisdiction over 39 towns.

Lanao del Sur Gov. Mamintal Adiong, Jr., presiding chairman of the council, said it has urged the Northern Mindanao regional police office to do its best to identify the culprits in the attempt to kill Salic.

The shooters remain at large and probers are still clueless on their identities and their real motive for the attack.

Relatives of Salic, who is on his third and last term as Marawi City mayor, are convinced the ambush was politically motivated.

Salic and Gunting were emerging from the compound of a hotel in Cagayan de Oro City when gunmen riding a white, heavily-tinted van attacked with AK-74 and M-16 assault rifles.

The victims, who sustained gunshot wounds in different parts of their bodies, are now recuperating in a hospital and are guarded by officers from the city police offices in Cagayan de Oro and Marawi.

In a resolution, the Lanao del Sur PPOC urged residents of Marawi City and Lanao del Sur to refrain from speculating on the incident and to wait for the results of an investigation.

Adiong, who is running for vice governor alongside his mother Soraya Adiong, said the council wants a speedy resolution of the incident.