‘Slay attempt on Iligan lawmaker not rebels’ handiwork’

MANILA, Philippines - The military has ruled out the involvement of communist or Muslim rebels in the slay attempt on Iligan City Rep. Vicente Belmonte Jr. on Thursday.

Belmonte survived the ambush along Laguindingan road in Poblacion, Misamis Oriental with only a cut in the hand caused by shattered glass, but three of his security escorts were killed by unidentified gunmen.

“There’s no rebel group operating in the area nor have we monitored plans to launch an attack at Laguindingan,” a military officer said.

While other rebel group operating in the area could be planning a “hit” on Belmonte, the official pointed out it would not be along Laguindingan road.

The official, who asked not to be named, said the area of the ambush is open, such that gunmen could not position their blocking or reserve force and it has no safe withdrawal routes.

“Their only withdrawal is towards the mountain by crossing the highway or towards the sea and we have troops in these areas,” the official said.

He added all indications point to either politics or a crime syndicate behind the failed ambush on the Iligan lawmaker.

Belmonte, on his last term as congressman, has openly declared that he is running for mayor of Iligan in 2016.

He and his convoy were traveling along Laguindingan road, about a kilometer from the highway leading to Iligan, when a Mitsubishi van blocked their way and the van’s unidentified occupants fired at them.

Belmonte and his group had just arrived at the airport from Manila and were en route to Iligan City in two vans when they were attacked at about 1:30 p.m., resulting in the death of three of his security escorts, including a policeman.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) has created a special task force to investigate the ambush attempt on Belmonte.

Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II said the PNP-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) have stepped into the investigation of the ambush.

“So far, we have received the report on the technical investigation, CSI (Crime Scene Investigation)-type information like fingerprints,” said Roxas. “The report did not contain information about motive.”

Senior Superintendent Felipe Abigan of the Northern Mindanao regional police said one of the getaway vehicles of the attackers was found abandoned and burned along a road a few kilometers from where the ambush took place.

Abigan said they found a caliber .45 pistol in the burned L300 van and witnesses said three men left the area on foot.

Mindanao lawmakers condemned the slay try on Belmonte.

Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III asked police authorities to hunt down the killers and unmask the mastermind in the “dastardly act committed against a member of Congress.”

Sen. JV Ejercito criticized the police anew for the deteriorating peace and order in the country after the incident.

“I condemn the attempt on his life. He is not only a colleague, but a friend, and I stood as ninong (godfather) at his son’s wedding,” he said. – With Christina Mendez, Jerry Lee-Gorit