The incumbent mayor of the municipality of Pantar, Lanao del Norte was killed while two of his police escorts were wounded following an ambush staged by still unidentified assailants along the national highway of P-5G, Sitio Paitan, Brgy Dalipuga, Iligan City, Thursday night.
Iligan City Police Office director Senior Supt. Leony Roy Ga identified the fatality as Pantar, Lanao del Norte Mayor Mohammad Exchan Limbona who suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was declared dead on arrival at the Adventist Medical Center.
Limbona, 52, was with his wife Ginima, 27 years old and the chairman of Brgy. Calanganan, East, Pantar Municipality, Lanao del Norte together with his daughter Sittie Aisa Limbona, 25. Both however escaped the incident unhurt.
Wounded were Police Officer 1 (PO1) Russel Jay Paltingca, 27, who was hit on his left leg and PO1 Saidamin Hadji Naim, 28, married, who was hit on his right leg.
According to Ga, the victims were on board a brand new Ford Everest and were traversing along the national highway of Iligan City when they were peppered with bullets by a still unknown number of perpetrators.
Authorities are focusing on ‘Rido’ or family feud and politics as possible motives that led to the ambush.
Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) recovered six deformed fire cartridge case of super 38; one fired cartridge case of 9mm; two fired cartridge case of M16 and eight deformed fired bullets.
Ga said Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) “Limbona” has been formed to unify all the efforts of the task units in immediately solving the incident. (FRANCIS T. WAKEFIELD)