ZAMBOANGA CITY, 12 November 2006 — A provincial official in the northern Philippines and a town mayor in the south were killed yesterday in two separate attacks believed to be linked to the May 2007 election.

James Bersamin was shot to death at dawn by gunmen on board a motorcycle while he was jogging in a public park in the capital town of Bangued in Abra province, 345 kilometers north of Manila.

Senior Superintendent Rogelio Damazo, Abra police director, said the former manager bank manager and a distant relative of Abra Representative Luis Bersamin Jr., died from six bullet wounds.

Senior Inspector Charles Domallig, Bangued police chief, said the police arrested two suspects, identified as Misael Gatoc, 39, and Julie Aldaca, 22. They were undergoing tactical interrogation at press time. “We were surprised that (Bersamin) was attacked because as far as we know, he had no political enemies,” he said.

But Abra Governor Vicente Valera believed that Bersamin’s murder was politically motivated. Valera said Bersamin, who represented the second district of Abra, was “floating the idea” of running for mayor of Bangued. Valera said his information showed that the suspects were identified with the camp of a losing mayoral candidate who was planning to run for the same post next year. Valera’s wife, Ma. Zita Valera, is the incumbent mayor.

Bersamin was the second top official gunned down in Abra this year following the murder of La Paz Mayor Marc Ysrael Bernos at the town plaza of La Paz on Jan. 13.

In the southern province of Saranggani, Maitum town Mayor George Yabes was shot to death by gunmen also on motorcycles.

Yabes was inspecting the town with two civilian security aides onboard a jeepney when one of three motorcycle-riding men shot him at close range in front of the Sacatero Building at Poblacion, Maitum at around 1:45 p.m.

Yabes sustained gun shot wounds behind the left ear and the neck. He was rushed to a hospital in nearby Kiamba town but was declared on arrival, said Chief Superintendent German Doria, the regional police chief.

Doria said police have not established whether the murder was politically motivated since there were no reports that Yabes had plans to run for the local 2007 elections.

This was Yabes’ last term as mayor.

Doria said Maitum town was generally peaceful, adding that the slain mayor was a close ally of the province’s incumbent Rep. Erwin Chiongbian and Saranggani Gov. Miguel Dominguez. (With input from Inquirer News Service & Agencies)