DAVAO CITY (MindaNews. 25 October)—A candidate for barangay chair, his wife, and seven-year-old son were killed on the spot when the husband of his rival sprayed bullets on their Multicab after an altercation in the municipality of Kapatagan in Lanao del Sur Wednesday morning, police said.
According to Major Alinaid Moner, spokesman of Lanao del Sur police, the incident took place past 6 a.m. when the victims were about to fetch drinking water from a spring in the village of Sigpang near the barangay hall.
“The suspect approached the victims and engaged in a heated conversation until he opened fire using his rifle,” Moner added.
The suspect, identified as Pabel Pagrangan, reportedly used an M-16 rifle and immediately left the crime scene.
Pagrangan is the husband of the incumbent barangay chair, Normalah.
Killed were barangay chair candidate Camar Bansil Tawa his wife Jasmine, and son Mujahid.
Kapatagan Mayor Raida Maglangit relayed in a phone call how the suspect got irked when he saw the rival of his wife getting water near the barangay hall. Pagrangan, the mayor said, then approached Tawa, and demanded why he came to get water when they were enemies.
But Tawa reportedly responded that the water source was public property and proceeded fetching water. The suspect then opened fire, Maglangit said.
Moner said a manhunt operation is now being conducted by the local police.
He added that traditional leaders and elders are now negotiating for Pagrangan’s surrender.
Around 10 a.m., another shooting incident took place in nearby village of Dugawan killing a Muslim religious leader identified as Acmad Mulang Alamada.
Police are investigating if the two incidents in Kapatagan are connected.
“It seems that the gun ban is useless. Still a lot of killings happened,” Mayor Maglangit lamented.
The municipality’s police force and the local government unit are scheduled to convene tomorrow for a peace and order council meeting that would determine if the village of Sigayan will be put under the areas of immediate concern on Monday’s, Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections. (Ferdinandh Cabrera / MindaNews)
