DAVAO CITY – The United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP) on Tuesday, Feb. 25, condemned the gun attack against Vice Mayor Mohammad Omar Samama of Datu Piang town in Maguindanao del Sur on Monday, Feb. 24.
SAMAMA
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Ranking UBJP-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) officials issued statements condemning the incident.
UBJP Vice President Mohagher Iqbal said that the heinous attack was an assault not only on the individual but also on the very fabric of democracy itself.
“We strongly condemn this act of violence, which seeks to intimidate and disrupt the vital works that an elected official do for the well-being and safety of his constituents. No one should ever face violence for fulfilling his responsibilities in public office,” said Iqbal, education minister of the BARMM.
The broad daylight shooting, he added, was affront to the values of justice, respect, and the peaceful functioning of democratic institutions.
Abdulraof Macacua, UBJP secretary general, also said that the attack was not just against an individual but a direct assault on the peace, order, and good governance that UBJP tirelessly advocate for.
“Violence has no place in a just and civilized society,” added Macacua, governor of Maguindanao del Norte.
He urged authorities to act swiftly and ensure that those responsible would be held fully accountable.
“Fear and lawlessness must not take root in our communities. We also urge the public to stand against this senseless violence and cooperate with authorities in the pursuit of justice.”
As the election is fast approaching, he appealed that “power should never be gained through bloodshed.”
The attack against Samama was the most recent among the spate of killings in the region amid the intensified gun ban and approaching elections. The police have recorded 90 shooting incidents since the start of the year.
These killings have prompted the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (PRO-BAR) to create Special Investigation Task Group to probe these incidents, particularly in the municipalities of Datu Abdullah Sangki (DAS) and Buluan in Maguindanao del Sur.
PRO-BAR chief Police Brig. Gen. Romeo Macapaz said that these shootings were possibly politically motivated.
Samama is in stable condition after he was shot from a distance and wounded in the stomach while delivering a speech before his constituents during a relief operation activity in Barangay Magaslong in Datu Piang.