Lanao del Sur gubernatorial bet still in the race, says supporters

LANAO DEL SUR, Philippines - The camp of Lanao del Sur governor aspirant Fahad Salic on Friday refuted circulating text messages he had been paralyzed by a stroke and is now out of the race for the highest elective post in the province.

“There is no truth to that. He, in fact, just led a big campaign engagement in Wao (municipality), which thousands of voters attended,” said Salic’s younger sister, Bai Nadjemah, speaking on his behalf.

Salic, whose third term and last term as mayor of Marawi City will end on June 30, is one of three aspirants for the governorship of Lanao del Sur, which has 39 towns and covered by two congressional districts.

Lanao del Sur is a component province of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), whose territory also spans through Maguindanao in Central Mindanao and the island provinces of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi.

Salic is pitted against rivals Soraya Adiong, mother of the now outgoing Gov. Mamintal Adiong Jr., and a third gubernatorial candidate, Congressman Pangalian Balindong, also in his last term as congressional representative of the second district of Lanao del Sur.

Among those who confirmed to have received text messages saying that Salic had been incapacitated by a hypertensive stroke are members of the business community in Lanao del Sur.

“After I saw on Facebook many photos of him (Salic) speaking on a campaign stage in Wao last Thursday, I deleted the text message stored in my phone and told my relatives it was nothing but a bad propaganda and that we have to continue supporting his candidacy,” said an owner of a fleet of air-conditioned passengers vans plying highways connecting Marawi City to nearby cities.

Supporters of Salic in Marawi City had told reporters they are apprehensive of their safety now after partisans gunned down last Monday an aide of engineer Casan Lazim, a staunch supporter of the mayor.

Lazim, chairman of Barangay Bangolo, a vote-rich area in Marawi City, is known for his political loyalty to Salic.

Lazim and his slain aide, Alimoden, are related by blood to Salic, who had earlier called on his supporters and campaigners to refrain from hostile and satirical discourses when they go around to campaign for him.

Salic was wounded in an ambush in Cagayan de Oro City more than two weeks ago.

He and his driver, Kaer Gunting, who was also injured in the incident, were attacked by gunmen armed with AK-47 Kalashnikovs and M-16 assault rifles, while leaving the premises of the Pryce Hotel in Cagayan de Oro City.

Text messages immediately circulated after the incident, purporting he was badly hurt in the attack and that a rifle bullet pierced through his spine, leaving him paralyzed. 

“He is being destroyed through text messages but he is not affected and is not doing anything hostile because he is for a peaceful style of campaigning,” Bai Nadjemah said.