MEMBERS of the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) are looking into two possibilities that led to the killing of the brother of former Association of Barangay Council representative to the City Council and barangay chief of 23-C Mini Forest Amilbangsa Manding.
Superintendent Caezar Cabuhat, chief of the Sta. Ana Police Station, told Sun.Star Davao that they got information that Nasser Tagute Manding, 40, brother of Amilbangsa, of Lizada Street in Barangay 26-C, had a fight with a clan member during which Nasser allegedly tried to stab this other person.
"Wala naman din report na namatay yung sinaksak niya (Nasser) so tinitingnan namin baka may retribution na nangyayari after their brawl. Inaalam pa namin kung saan na ang nakaaway niya for investigation lang," Cabuhat said.
The second possible motive could be drug-related, Cabuhat added. He said that the victim was among the subjects of Oplan Tokhang (Toktok, Hangyo) in Barangay 26-C.
Oplan Tokhang was a drug eradication campaign of former DCPO head Sr. Supt. Ronald M. dela Rosa, which was launched February to curb the rampant illegal drug trade in some areas here.
"Kasama siya sa listahan ng mga tinokhang earlier on February. In fact, after the Oplan Tokhang in 26-C, isa sya dun sa mga umuuwi sa Marawi City, his been away from this city for two months. Bumalik siya dito kasabay ang panibagong buhay," Cabuhat said.
But Cabuhat added that the police authorities learned that Nasser's name was linked to an alleged drug pusher, Babonsalam Ambung Casser, alias Madam, 30, of Iligan City, who was arrested on December 18 in a buy-bust operation.
The Davao City Police Office (DCPO) headed by director Senior Supt. Vicente Danao Jr. seized around P2.2 million worth of shabu from Casser in a mall here. The suspect is one of the big-time drug pushers operating in Marawi City.
"As of now, we don’t have yet any suspect of the incident. Aaminin ko na medyo mahirap itong investigation namin kasi wala na dito ang bangkay… dinala kaagad sa Marawi City ng relatives niya," Cabuhat said.
Amilbangsa's brother was killed around 9:30 p.m. while soliciting passengers along Lizada Street.
A witness said the gunman was inside a white van with no plate number and who fired from the window. The victim’s body was brought to Marawi City, Sunday morning, for burial.