Raps readied vs Islamic Center gunmen

Police are set to file charges of indiscriminate firing and alarm and scandal against three men for disrupting a press conference at the Islamic Center, a Muslim leader said.

Datu Amerol Ambiong, national chairman of the National Muslim Peace and Order Council (NMPOC), said appropriate charges would be filed against three men who interfered at a scheduled press conference at the Islamic Center in Quiapo, Manila City yesterday afternoon.

Ambiong identified the suspects as Hadji Ali Lucman, Hadji Malic Nanak and Weng Macadato. The three fled after firing their weapons.

Senior Inspector Virgilio Obar of the Western Police District (WPD)’s of Station 8, said they recovered three to four empty shells of a caliber .45 pistol and an Armalite rifle.

At around 12:30 p.m., Ambiong called for a press conference at the mosque of the Islamic Center in Quiapo to denounce the statement of US Charge d’ Affairs Joseph Mussomeli, who had called Mindanao the next Afghanistan, or the new haven for terrorist groups in the Asia-Pacific Region.

However, when Ambiong concluded the press conference at 1 p.m., a news crew from three TV networks arrived and requested another round of interviews. Ambiong granted their request.

As he was reading his press statement, Macatuna Lucman, husband of barangay chairwoman Nurhaina Lucman arrived with several men.

"Lucman started shouting at media men and ordered them to leave the mosque," Ambiong said. Moments later, the three suspects pulled out their firearms and fired warning shots.

Sources said Lucman was irked because Ambiong did not coordinate with them .

Ambiong denied the allegations.

"Lucman’s nephew is a member of the NMPOC and sought out Lucman, but he was asleep. Besides, we held the press conference on private property. The mosque is private property. It does not belong to the barangay," he said. – Evelyn Macairan