ZAMBOANGA CITY (MindaNews/01 July) – Mayor Celso Lobregat, concerned over the spate of shooting incidents in this city, has asked politicians from other areas to spare this city from their own political conflict.
Lobregat issued the appeal in the wake of reports that some incidents stemmed from rido (clan war) such as the one that happened on Monday in Barangay San Roque.
“I am appealing to all warring factions and politicians from other places: please do not bring to Zamboanga your political strife,” Lobregat said.
Police believed politics was behind last Monday’s gun attack on former Maimbung, Sulu mayor Najiv Maldisa and his wife, Ahisa, in San Roque.
The former town mayor died while undergoing treatment and his wife Ahisa was critically wounded.
Police said Ahisa’s testimony is key to the solution of the crime, as no other witnesses would like to testify.
Lobregat lamented that Zamboanga City had time and again become a venue of violent incidents involving politicians from other areas who attacked each other to settle old scores.
He said the problem with Maldisa’s death is that nobody wanted to talk to the authorities.
Meanwhile, Lobregat announced that the police have arrested two suspects, a coast guard member and his brother, in the shooting incident in Barangay Tetuan, also last Monday, which killed a former barangay tanod (watchman) and wounded a former barangay chairman of barangay Zambowood.
City police director Senior Supt. Edwin de Ocampo said Wednesday that they have already filed cases for murder and frustrated murder against the suspects before the city prosecutor’s office.
The suspects were identified as Seaman Second Class George Limen, who is assigned at the Zamboanga Coast Guard Station, and his brother Broderick.
They were positively identified by former Zambowood Barangay Chairman Herbert Abraham, who was wounded when the suspects attacked him and barangay tanod Alfredo Apostol. (MindaNews)
