Friday, June 02, 2006

Lanao Sur Mayor Shot Outside Court House In Southern RP

LANAO DEL SUR (Zamboanga Journal / 02 Jun) A town mayor in Lanao del Sur province was shot and wounded by an unidentified gunman in an attack outside a court house in Marawi City in the southern Philippines, a military spokesman said on Friday.

Captain Jose Ritche Pabilonia, of the Southern Command, said the official Mohammad Abinal, mayor of Marantao town in the province, was Wednesday shot in the chest at close range by the gunman.

The attack occurred minutes later after Abinal had arguments with a group of civilians outside the court house where he would attend to an election protest filed against him by his political opponent.

"Moments later, the mayor was shot at close range by an unidentified perpetrator using a .45-caliber pistol and after which the suspect fled to an unknown direction. The mayor suffered a gunshot wound and was immediately brought to hospital," Pabilonia told the Zamboanga Journal.

It was not immediately known if the group the mayor had argued earlier had anything to do at all with the shooting. Pabilonia said the motive of the attack is still unknown, but police investigators suspect it was connected to politics. Police forces were tracking down the attacker.

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