COTABATO CITY (MindaNews / 17 Feb) — The spate of killings continue in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) despite the intensified gun ban as the election is approaching, with at least 87 shooting incidents recorded since the start of the year, police said.
There is no update from the police yet, however, on the number of people killed in these incidents.
The latest shooting incident happened 9:40 a.m. Monday in Mamasapano, Maguindanao del Sur, when armed men sprayed bullets into a minivan, wounding the four people inside, including a woman.
Lt. Col. Henry Binas, Maguindanao del Sur provincial police spokesperson, identified one of the victims as Hadji Fahad Nano, a resident of Barangay Barurao, Rajah Buayan, Maguindanao del Sur.
All passengers were rushed to the hospital but the police has no updates yet on yet on their situation.
On Sunday afternoon, police reported that a motorbike enthusiast from Cotabato City, identified as Boyet Lu, was killed with an M-16 rifle in the hinterlands of Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao del Norte while he was on a trail ride.
Friday last week, gunmen attacked Councilor Edris Sangki, chair of the Association of Barangay Councils (ABC) of Datu Abdullah Sangki municipality in Maguindanao del Sur. Sangki, chair of Barangay Kaya-kaya, and his two companions—a barangay councilman and barangay secretary—were wounded, but Sangki later expired.
The Police Regional Office- Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (PRO-BAR) reported noon of Sunday that in January alone, they recorded 53 shooting incidents; 32 more were added in mid-February. Then two more shooting incidents happened: on Sunday afternoon and Monday morning.
Because of the spate of killings, PRO-BAR has created a special investigation task group (SITG) to look into the incidents particularly those in the municipalities of Datu Abdullah Sangki (DAS) and Buluan in Maguindanao del Sur.
Brig. Gen. Romeo Macapaz, PRO-BAR chief, said that the shootings were possibly politically motivated.
Maguindanao del Sur Gov. Bai Mariam Sangki-Mangudadatu condemned the series of murders in the province, some of which targeted supporters of Team Agila, her political party.
“These are a direct threat to the ongoing peace efforts in the province and a threat to expressing support for their leaders, a proof of the lack of respect for life, democracy, and human rights,” she said.
The governor is cousin of the slain Councilor Edris Sangki.
In Buluan, police are also looking into the series of attacks, one of which targeted a 13-year-old boy who managed to survive after he was chased by armed men while driving his father’s car on Feb. 11.
Macapaz said it could be “politically motivated” even though the boy was alone in the vehicle.
Earlier that day, vice mayoralty candidate Anwar Dimansinsil claimed his convoy was ambushed by armed men aboard a gray car in front of the provincial capitol of Maguindanao del Sur in Buluan town.
He said that the driver of their black SUV that was part of the convoy was shot but saved because of bulletproof vest.
But former Maguindanao governor and 2nd district representative Esmael “Toto” Mangudadatu, Dimasinsil’s group may have staged a “drama-ambush.” He said Dimasinsil’s camp may have been the one who shot at their own SUV when they found out that they had attacked the wrong vehicle—after they realized that a minor was inside the gray car.
Dimasinsil’s camp is a rival of Mangudadatu’s siblings in Buluan town in the upcoming elections. (Ferdinandh Cabrera / MindaNews)
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