CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – The League of Municipalities of the Philippines-Lanao del Sur chapter and Marawi City Mayor Majul Gandamra condemned the ambush by unidentified gunmen of Lanao del Sur Gov. Mamintal Adiong Jr. on Friday, Feb. 17, in the remote Sitio Landslide, Barangay Dilimbayan, Maguing, Lanao del Sur.
“The municipal mayors of Lanao del Sur strongly condemn in all strongest term the ambush against our provincial governor, his staff, and detailed escorts. This is an attack against us and a travesty on the morals of the good people of Lanao del Sur,’’ LMP-Lanao del Sur President Mayor Dimnatang Pansar of Butig said in a press conference here on Saturday, Feb. 18.
“We seek the support and cooperation of all stakeholders, including the leadership of BARMM (Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao), civilians, law enforcement agencies in pursuit of a credible information and justice for our people and the victims.
“We call upon the national government to immediately convene peace mechanisms to help in the identification and ultimate arrest of the perpetrators and achieve justice for the victims.
“We call on the families of the perpetrators to show their sincerity in the call for justice by surrendering to the authorities their relatives involved in this dastardly act.
“We join the families of the good governor and the slain victims in demanding justice. We are one in confronting this incident. We ask our people to join us in seeking efficient and immediate solutions.”
Gov. Adiong was wounded and four of his companions, including three policemen, were killed in the ambush which occurred while they were on their way to Wao, Lanao del Sur.
Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong said his brother Gov. Adiong is now in stable condition in the Intensive Care Unit of a hospital in this city after minor surgery to take out a bullet in the right hip.
Rep. Adiong said that ‘’rido’’ or clan war might not be the motive as his brother was riding in a non-bulletproof vehicle when the ambush took place.
“The governor was riding in a non-bulletproof vehicle; an indication and proof that we don’t have any rido,” said Rep. Adiong.
“He’s comfortable moving around the province,” stressed Rep. Adiong. “That’s an indication that he felt that he did not need to augment these security measures whenever he went around the province,” he added.
BARRM Minister of Interior and Local government (MILG) Atty. Naguib Sinarimbo said Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim has directed field commanders, particularly the 103rd Base Command of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), to take part in the initiative to investigate the incident. The unit’s camp is 1.5 kilometers away from the ambush site with mountains in between.
A report said Sinarimbo announced that 10 suspects in the ambush have been identified but he declined to identify them pending the result of an investigation by the police and MILF.
Sinarimbo said armed groups in the area like the New People’s Army are being monitored for their possible involvement.
Authorities are welcoming all possible angles to identify the motive of the incident. (With a report from Franck Dick Rosete)