Lakas-CMD chair Sara Duterte condemns Zamboanga ambush killing Basilan mayor

Davao City Mayor and Lakas-CMD chairperson Sara Duterte on Tuesday strongly denounced the killing of Al Barka, Basilan Mayor Darussalam Saguindilan Lajid in Zamboanga City on Monday morning.

Lajid is a member of the Lakas-CMD and a personal friend of Duterte.

The Lakas-CMD chairperson also extended her sympathies to the mayor's bereaved family.

"His untimely demise is truly tragic and heartbreaking. This cowardly act deserves our collective outrage and condemnation," Duterte said in a statement.

"With the officers and members of Lakas-CMD, my thoughts and prayers for Mayor Darussalam and his aide as we offer their families our deepest condolences," she added.

Lajid was traveling from Basilan province to Zamboanga City with Alih Awal Sali of Akbar town when they were ambushed by still unidentified suspects

"We also wish for the speedy recovery of Mayor Sali, member of the local United Bangsamoro Party, but also a member of the Lakas-CMD in Basilan," Duterte said.

Duterte expressed hope that the perpetrators of this hostile act would be put to justice.

In a separate statement, Lakas-CMD president and House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez also expressed condemnation over the incident as he urged authorities to identify and arrest those behind the ambush.

"We call on our law enforcement agencies to exhaust all means possible to identify those responsible for the gun attack and to put them all behind bars," Romualdez said.

"We also mourn the death of Mayor Sali’s security aide, Farrad Nurrudin, who was with the Basilan mayors when unidentified gunmen attacked them after disembarking from a sea vessel in Zamboanga City early Monday morning," he added.

According to Romualdez, the two mayors took their oath as Lakas-CMD members last September 11.

Philippine National Police chief Police General Dionardo Carlos said he already instructed Western Mindanao area commander Police Lieutenant Chiquito Malayo to conduct hot pursuit operations against the suspects who were reported to have escaped using a white car and a motorized boat. —KG, GMA News