Defeated barangay chairman demands repayment

ZAMBOANGA CITY – A defeated barangay chairman have terrorized the villagers and demanded he will not leave the post unless he is remunerated of his expenses in the recently-concluded polls in a village of Sumisip, Basilan, police reported here.

Police said residents of Barangay Bait deserted their village for fear of harassment by the armed supporters of barangay chairman Narding Damahan who was defeated by retired Senior Police Officer 3 Asadi Arai.

“The information disclosed that the defeated barangay chairman of Bait refused to give way to the winning candidate and demanded repayment of his expenses during the election,” Senior Superintendent Salik Macapantar, Basilan provincial police director, said.

Reports showed that Sumisip municipal secretary Abdurahman Ampaw was also prevented by the armed followers of Damahan from going home in the affected village.

Macapantar said police and military forces have been dispatched as peacekeepers to defuse the tension and ensure the return of the villagers to their homes.