ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines — Police are looking at rido or clan war as the motive for the killing of the mayor of Al-Barka town in a coastal village in this city on Monday.
Col. Rexmel Reyes, Zamboanga police chief, said a special investigation task group was created to probe the gun attack that killed Mayor Darussalam Lajid and security escort Barad Nurrudin.
Mayor Alih Salih of Akbar town, also of Basilan, was wounded in the incident.
The victims, who arrived from Basilan in a motorboat, were walking toward their vehicle when they were shot.
Authorities said Lajid recently forged a peace pact with Vice Mayor Mujib Jakilan after a gunfight between their camps last Aug. 2 left two members from both sides dead.
Lajid and Salih reportedly decided to drop by this city before attending a mayors’ league meeting in Davao City scheduled yesterday.
Reyes said probers are not ruling out politics as the motive for the attack.
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is willing to assist in the probe into the incident.
“We’ll see first if the local police can solve it. But I will alert the NBI to extend assistance if requested any time,” Guevarra said.
Four men reportedly perpetrated the attack at the Baliwasan Seaside.
The police and military intensified security in Basilan to prevent a spillover of violence.
As this developed, the Lakas-CMD, of which Lajid and Salih were members, condemned the incident.
“We call on our law enforcement agencies to exhaust all means possible to identify those responsible for the gun attack and to put them all behind bars,” the party said in a statement.
Davao City Mayor and Lakas-CMD chairperson Sara Duterte-Carpio said Darussalam was a personal friend.
”His untimely demise is truly tragic and heartbreaking. This cowardly act deserves our collective outrage and condemnation,” Carpio said.
She said their party also wishes for Salih’s speedy recovery. – Evelyn Macairan, Edith Regalado, Edu Punay