2 Basilan mayors shot in Zamboanga City; 1 dead, 1 critical —police

Two mayors from Basilan province traveling together to Zamboanga City were shot in an ambush Monday, police said.

One of the mayors, Darussalam Saguindilan Lajid of Al-Barka town, was killed while the other, Alih Awal Sali of Akbar town, is in critical condition, Zamboanga City Police spokesperson Police Lieutenant Mary Agnes Miro said.

Interviewed on Super Radyo dzBB, Miro said Sali's driver was also killed in the shooting incident perpetrated by four suspects.

“Yung dalawang mayors nasa ospital ngayon. But yung isa, si Mayor Darus, namatay na po. Declared dead on arrival by the attending physician, kasama po yung driver ni Mayor Sali,” Miro said.

(The two mayors are in the hospital now. But one of them, Mayor Darus, has already died. He and Mayor Sali's driver were declared dead on arrival.)

In a statement, the Philippine National Police (PNP) identified Sali’s driver as Barad Nuruddin.

Miro said at around 8 a.m., the two mayors were shot after arriving at the Baliwasan Seaside in Zamboanga City through a motorized boat.

The PNP said the suspects fled on board a motorized boat and a white car.

PNP chief Police General Dionardo Carlos said he already instructed Western Mindanao area commander Police Lieutenant Chiquito Malayo to conduct hot pursuit operations.

“I have directed [Malayo] to coordinate pursuit operations by PNP Units of Police Regional Office 9 and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region against the gunmen who allegedly escaped aboard a motorized boat,” he said.

Police checkpoints are also established to arrest the suspects.

Asked about such incidents of violence as the election nears, PNP spokesperson Police Colonel Roderick Alba said that it is too early to make conclusions.

“It is too early to make conclusions at this time without evidence to support it,” he told GMA News Online in a message.

“We are confident, however, that follow up operations will bear fruit and produce significant leads,” he added.  —KBK/BM, GMA News