ZAMBOANGA CITY, 5 November 2006 — Police yesterday detained a mayor and his bodyguards in the volatile main southern Philippine island of Mindanao over the shooting death of five people last Thursday.
Mayor Floro Allado of Banisilan town in North Cotabato province was arrested on orders of a court in nearby Kidapawan city after state prosecutors filed murder and attempted murder charges against them.
Allado on Thursday said his bodyguards, which include militiamen and police officers, fired at the victims who were in a cargo truck parked at the town center, claiming they were terrorizing the townsfolk.
Town police chief Inspector Abraham Dandan said his men were inquiring from those on the truck and were answered with gunfire, prompting his side to fire back.
But three of the victims injured told investigators that they were unarmed and were attacked without any provocation.
Police said the survivors identified their dead companions as driver Mama Kadil, Cajelo Ontok, Usman Muhammad, and Zailon Dagandal, all of barangay Pantar in Banisilan. The fifth fatality was a 10-year-old boy who was also in the truck.
One of the survivors, Amelil Apas, told radio DXND in Kidapawan that they were delivering rice to the town center when the mayor and his men attacked them.
A village official, Jennifer Macalingcag, confirmed Apas’ statement that the mayor himself was the first to fire at the truck. “(Allado) fired the first shot, his policemen...simply followed suit,” said Macalingcag, who facilitated the interview with Apas.
Senior Superintendent Federico Dulay, North Cotabato police chief, said incident cause him to pull out the entire police force of Banisilan pending further investigation.
North Cotabato Gov. Manny Piñol, who requested the military to help secure the place to avoid further hostilities, said it was a clear case of terrorism but it was the mayor who was the culprit.
“It’s sad that here in our province, there are still leaders who believe that by terrorizing the people they can get what they want,” Piñol was quoted by local media as saying.
The town’s police earlier reported that Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels were behind the attack, not realizing that the mayor had admitted that his men were involved.
MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu and Brig. Gen. Nehemias Pajarito, commander of the army’s 6th Infantry Division, both said they have information linking the massacre to a family feud.
Kabalu said: “We have reports saying that the attack was connected to a family feud and had something to do also with local politics.”
“We have troops in the area. We don’t want any future hostilities breaking out between feuding groups,” Pajarito told Arab News by phone.
Vendetta killings in the southern region of Mindanao often last for decades, especially among Muslims.
Local politicians, police, the military and MILF separatist rebels have all managed to help in the resolution of many of these feuds over the past years. (With input from Inquirer News Service & agencies)
