Town council bet from Maguindanao shot dead in Cotabato City

COTABATO CITY — A still unidentified man shot dead Wednesday, a candidate for town councilor of Maguindanao hours after Liberal Party (LP) standard bearer Mar Roxas visited this city to meet with local party members.

The victim was identified as Macawali Saranga, 38, a resident of Barangay Oring, Buldon, Maguindanao and a candidate for a seat in the town council (Sangguniang Bayan) under the LP.

Saranga was standing at the corner of Don Rufino Avenue and Dorotheo Street, just beside the Cotabato Puericulture Hospital when shot at 7:20 p.m. Wednesday.

Police said Saranga was talking to friends when a lone gunman approached him from behind and without provocation, shot him in the head with a .45 caliber pistol.  He died instantly.

Investigators are also looking at family feud or “rido” as the possible motive after relatives revealed Saranga had been receiving death threats back home.

Buldon town is about an hour’s drive from Cotabato City.  SFM