Palace condemns attack on Cotabato vice mayor

Malacañang on Tuesday condemned the attack on Cotabato City Vice Mayor Muslimin Sema even as it dismissed insinuations that the ambush had something to do with any terror threat. “We condemn the ambush on Vice Mayor Sema and the Philippine National Police has been instructed to look into the motives and to the perpetrators of the heinous act,” presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said at a press briefing.

 

Sema was wounded in the shooting incident that happened along Sinsuat Street in Cotabato City. He was taken to an undisclosed hospital for treatment.

 

One of the alleged gunmen, identified as Jermin Abdula, died after being shot by Sema's security personnel.

 

Lacierda said they are not seeing any pattern between the attack and the reported plan of a local terrorist group.

 

“It was a different thing. We do not take it as a consistent---there is no pattern there,” he said. — Amita Legaspi/RSJ, GMA News