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Wednesday, January 26, 2005
Sulu town vice mayor, bodyguard shot dead
By J. Fernandez
ZAMBOANGA CITY -- Gunmen shot dead a town vice mayor and his security aide in the province of Sulu, some 950 kilometers south of Manila, in an attack blamed by the military on family feud.
Pata Vice Mayor Adjili Abbas and his bodyguard were killed on Saturday morning outside the official's house.
Authorities only reported the incident on Tuesday, but officials said security forces were sent to the town to track down the attackers.
"There is an going operation now. Soldiers and policemen were in the town to hunt the assailants," military anti-terror task force commander Brig. Gen. Agustin Dema-ala said.
He said Abbas rushed outside his house after hearing burst of gunfire, but was also shot by unidentified assailants.
His unidentified bodyguard, who came to help, was also shot dead, Dema-ala said.
The motive of the attack was still unknown, but Dema-ala said they were looking at the possibility that a family feud or personal grudge may have sparked the shooting.
"There is an investigation, the police are handling that case," he said.
It was not immediately known if the Abu Sayyaf group, which is known to actively operate in Sulu, had something to do with the murder.
The Abu Sayyaf is listed by the United States and the Philippines as a terrorist organization. It is being blamed for the spate of bombings and kidnappings in Mindanao.
(January 26, 2005 issue)
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