Lanao gunmen identified

MANILA, Philippines - At least 15 armed men who ambushed the convoy of the mayor of Nunungan, Lanao del Norte last Thursday, killing 14 people, have been identified and government troops are now pursuing them, according to authorities.

“The police Scene of the Crime Operation team has the list of the suspects,”Brig Gen. Daniel Lucero, commander of the Army’s 1st Infantry Division based in Lanao del Norte, said yesterday.

Lucero said the ambush on Nunungan Mayor Abdulmalik Manamparan and his party was politically motivated, as a rido or clan war that had been resolved has surfaced anew due to intense political rivalries among families in the municipality.

The armed men, reportedly identified with a rival clan, opened fire on the convoy of Manamparan and his supporters in a remote area between the villages of Pantar and Malaig in Nunungan on Thursday.

Manamparan was grazed on the head by shrapnel and survived. But his daughter Adnina was among the 14 fatalities. Eight others were wounded in the attack.

From his hospital bed in Iligan City where he is confined, Manamparan initially declared the ambush could have been triggered by a rido.

The military said the gunmen were led by a certain Kadie Hamin from Barangay Kaludan and are known supporters of a political rival of Manamparan.

Senior Superintendent Gerardo Rosales, Lanao del Norte police director, confirmed that they have identified the ambushers “as a longtime enemy of the Manamparan clan.”

Manamparan, on his last term as mayor, is supporting his son’s candidacy for the top elective post in Nunungan town. He is running as vice mayor under the Nationalist People’s Coalition.

Following the ambush, authorities are considering expanding security measures, amid fears of further violence from politicians’ private armies and communist guerrillas ahead of the May 13 polls.

Col. Ricardo Jalad, commanding officer of the Army’s 35th Infantry Battalion, said they have assisted the police in the strict implementation of the election gun ban.

He said security in the area has been stepped up while the police continued its investigation into the ambush.

Jalad said the situation in Barangays Pantar and Malaig has calmed down with the heavy presence of the troops and police.

He said there has been no threat from either warring clan.

“Our concern is not just Nunungan but the lowland areas because most of the families of the clans in conflict are also staying there,” Jalad said.

Lucero added efforts have been exerted to tap Muslim religious and community leaders to conduct dialogues and prevent the rido of the warring clans from escalating.

United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) senatorial candidate Jack Enrile condemned the ambush on Manamparan, saying it should not go unpunished.

“Whether this is the offshoot of a clan war or of partisan politics, or even both, it is a contemptible and abhorrent act of violence that should not go unpunished,” Enrile said.

While the casualty figures in the Nunungan ambush are not as high as those in the Maguindanao massacre in November 2009, Enrile said the attack on Manamparan ranks as among the worst cases of election-related violence in the country.

“Authorities should get to the bottom of this bloody incident and bring the perpetrators to justice as soon as possible,” he said.

Enrile urged candidates, regardless of political affiliation, to also “condemn this ambush so that this does not happen again.”

A police tally now lists a total of 46 deaths from at least 48 violent incidents reported since the start of the campaign in February.

Political violence from rebels, hired thugs of politicians and other armed groups have plagued the campaign despite security precautions.

More than 18,000 posts are at stake in the May 13 elections, from town mayors and governors to members of the House of Representatives.

Chief Superintendent Generoso Cerbo, Philippine National Police spokesman, said the police leadership has identified 15 “priority provinces” for tighter security due to the possibility of election violence.

“We are entertaining the idea of (adding) other provinces,” Cerbo said in an interview with ABS-CBN. – With Roel Pareño, Jose Rodel Clapano