Police eye ‘persons of interest’ in Maguindanao councilor’s slay

Police investigators identify several persons of interest in the murder of a councilor of Buluan town, Maguindanao del Sur province. Buluan police chief Capt. Cemafranco Cemacio said Saturday, September 21, 2024, their initial investigation showed that councilor Mohammad Usman Alamada, 57, was likely killed due to a personal grudge. INQUIRER FILES

COTABATO CITY — Police investigators identified several persons of interest in the murder of a councilor of Buluan town, Maguindanao del Sur province.

Buluan police chief Capt. Cemafranco Cemacio said their initial investigation showed that councilor Mohammad Usman Alamada, 57, was likely killed due to a personal grudge.

Cemacio said Alamada was inside his family-owned roadside restaurant in Barangay Poblacion of Buluan when attacked at past 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 17.

The assailants arrived in a black Toyota Wigo car bearing no license plate, and a man with an assault rifle alighted and opened fire on Alamada who was sitting near the main entrance, the police official added.

READ: Maguindanao del Sur town councilor slain in gun attack

The suspects then fled while Alamada was rushed to the Buluan District Hospital just across the street where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Police scene-of-the-crime operatives found 10 empty shells for an M-16 rifle in the vicinity of the attack.

According to Cemacio, prior to the attack, Alamada received death threats from unidentified men but he did not seek police assistance.

READ: Police launch manhunt for killers of UBJP member

Maguindanao del Sur police director Col. Ruel Sermese has formed a Special Investigation Task Group (SITG-Alamada) to fasttrack the identification, arrest and filing of charges against the suspects.

Alamada is the deputy municipal executive officer of the United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP), the political party of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

“This despicable act of violence reflects a shocking level of cruelty and a clear violation of the principles we strive to protect in the Bangsamoro,” the UBJP said in a statement.

Buluan Mayor Babydats Mangudadatu, Alamada’s partymate, has also condemned the attack.