Yt Framework

Believes the shooting due to politics

The village chief of Gapas Tubik Tuwak in Lugus town, Sulu cheated death over a week ago when an unidentified gunman shot him inside an eatery in downtown Jolo, Sulu province.

Barangay chairman Malik Ismael was hit in the side of his body by the gun fire from the unknown man and survived an attempt of his life that the victim believed was due to politics.

Ismael was washing his hands after taking his lunch and while waiting for his treasurer to claim the barangay’s IRA near the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP), Jolo branch when the assailant shot him.

The assailant was killed by a policeman, PO1 Evernor Jalmaani who by that time of the incident entered the eatery to take his lunch. Sensing that a shooting occurred, Jalmaani fired a warning shot but the assailant tried to return fire prompting the policeman to outsmart the suspect.

In an interview by local reporters in Jolo, Ismael said that before the incident happened, four of them barangay captains has experienced political harassment from an alleged powerful political figure.

He revealed that the name of three other village chiefs who suffered the same fate prior to incident were Paunandil Ladja of Baranga Pait, Tai Jalmaani of Sibul, Umla Mohammad of Laha.

The Barangay Gapas Tubik Tuwak chairman further said they experienced political harassment and suffered unequal treatment in the municipality of Lugus Sangguniang Bayan and from powerful politicians.

“I believe that the shooting incident was due to politics and was carried out by my political nemesis who are trying to silence me,” said Ismael.

He recalled that during the October 25, 2010, synchronized SK and barangay elections, the following villages of Gapas Tubik Tuwak, Laha, Sibul and Pait were declared failure due to non transportation of the ballot boxes and paraphernalia to the polling precincts.

By law, there being failure of elections in the barangays, the incumbent punong barangay assumed office in hold over capacity.

But on February 7, 2011, the four barangay captains were suspended for a period of two months, banking on an alleged pseudo complaint for misconduct, dishonesty and oppression allegedly filed before the Office of the Sangguniang Bayan of Lugus, which the respondentsd were not notified nor furnish with the copy of said complaint.

The suspended punong barangays filed a complaint against the chief executive of Lugus before the Office of the Ombudsman Mindanao for knowingly rendering unjust judgement (Art 204,RPC) Sec.3a and PAR (e) of RA 3019, abuse of authority and power and gross misconduct. This heightened the conflict between them.