A POLITICAL supporter was killed while another was wounded in a shooting incident spawned by political rivalry in Zamboanga del Sur province, the police said Friday, May 10.
The Zamboanga del Sur Provincial Police Office reported the incident happened around 6:30 p.m. Thursday along Blancia Street at Purok Mangga in Madasigon village, Molave town.
The police identified the fatality as Joseph Aljo, 34, a supporter of mayoralty candidate Cyril Reo Glepa, son of Mayor Ireneo Glepa, who is in his last term of office.
Wounded was Laurencio Canlom Jr., 52, the village affairs secretary of Molave and the campaign manager of Glepa.
Investigation showed Aljo and Canlom were together with two other supporters of Glepa - Jessie Gapol, 40, and Jason Aljo, 30 - traveling aboard two motorcycles around 6:30 p.m. Thursday along Blancia Street when a van blocked their path that forced them to stop.
Joseph (Aljo) was the back rider of Gapol while Canlom of Jason (Aljo), a municipal government employee, at the time of the incident.
The police said gunmen clad in masks disembarked from the van and pointed their guns to the four.
Six people, including Vice Mayor Rico Amigo, who is a candidate for mayor, disembarked from two other vehicles that suddenly arrived at the scene.
The police said Amigo was allegedly armed with a rifle while his companions with handguns.
The police said Joseph pleaded Amigo to stop hurting him as the vice mayor allegedly struck him with the rifle’s butt.
Joseph then walked towards the house of Encar Blancia but was fatally shot by the official, the police added.
Jason and Gapol escaped unharmed as they were able to seek cover at the back of the house of Canlom, who was wounded, while trying to hide.
The other followers of Amigo then fired several shots that prompted the responding policemen to seek cover and maneuver.
They tried but failed to stop the group of Amigo who fled after the incident.
However, they managed to arrest Junard Barrientos, 37, and Jerjun Alforque, 27, both security escorts of Amigo.
The police said manhunt was launched in a bid to arrest Amigo and his followers who were involved in the incident.
Meanwhile, Councilor Viccon Enricoso denied that Amigo was involved citing the vice mayor was not around at the time of the incident. (SunStar Philippines)