Iligan City representative Vicente Belmonte Jr. Photo from congress.gov.ph
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Philippines — A Mindanao lawmaker was injured while at least four of his escorts and staff members were killed in an ambush that took place just a few meters away from the Laguindingan Airport in Misamis Oriental on Thursday afternoon, authorities said.
Iligan City lone district representative Vicente Belmonte Jr. and his team were already en route to Iligan City when the car they were riding was fired at by unidentified armed men at around 1:30 p.m.
In an interview with ABS-CBN News Channel, Belmonte said that his aides and body guards were killed in the ambush.
“Namatay ‘yung driver ko, driver of the backup vehicle, and two police bodyguards. Tatlo ang wounded, including me,” he said.
(My driver died, and so died the driver of the backup vehicle and two police bodyguards. Three were wounded, including me.)
Their identities were not immediately available.
The Iligan City representative said that the attack is likely politically-motivated.
“Politically motivated ‘to. ‘Yung Iligan, magulo,” Belmonte added.
(This is politically motivated. It is chaotic in Iligan.)
Belmonte and his two wounded companions are currently being treated at a hospital in Laguindingan. With a report from INQUIRER Mindanao.
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