Gunmen seize family of 3, execute mother

ZAMBOANGA CITY , Philippines  – Hooded gunmen seized a family of three and executed Friday the mother in a village of Basilan province, according to a police official here.

The police said the victims – Danny Flores and his wife Shirly with their young daughter – were tending their farm in Barangay Lantawan proper, Lantawan town when 10 gunmen swooped down and seized their place about 9 a.m Friday.

Senior Superintendent Antonio Mendoza, Basilan provincial police chief, said Danny and his daughter, however, managed to escape before the gunmen, all wearing bonnets seized his wife.

“According to the husband, after they escaped some few hundred meters they heard gunshots and found later his wife dead with several bullet wounds,” Mendoza said.

The remains of Shirly was found by her sister who helped in the search after learning the incident.

Mendoza said the victims were said to have no known enemies in the area but were still puzzled on the motive of the hooded gunmen in attacking the family.

The police suspected that the raiders could not be members of the Abu Sayyaf citing that the attackers concealed their identities by using bonnets.

Local officials of Lantawan have suspected that the incident could be related with the recent elections as the victims were said to be supporters of certain candidates. 

Mendoza said investigating police forces were not discriminating all possible angles into the attacks.