BY JOEL CALAMBA ESCOL, Managing Editor
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Ambush victim, Lanao del Sur Governor Mamintal “Bombit” Adiong, Jr, who is still confined in one of the hospitals here, finally spoke on the ambush incident last week in Maguing town.
The governor said at first he didn’t know they were ambushed while traversing a secluded place in Barangay Delimbayan in Maguing, a third class municipality of Lanao del Sur.
“Akala ko patak ng ulan. Sabi ko naman bakit ang lalaki ng patak ng ulan? Hindi na pala yon kasi sinabi ng kasamahan ko hindi patak ng ulan, inambus tayo, ambush ito, ambush. Ang nasabi ko lang sige tuloy tuloy lang tayo hanggat makarating tayo sa safe na lugar,” the governor narrated.
During an interview with News5, the governor dismissed the possibility of a “rido” or clan war.
“Ang pamilya namin, the Adiong and the Alontos wala kaming kalaban sa mga family feud ano man diyan. Syempre nandiyan yung politika. pero yung kalaban namin sa politika hindi naman namin kalaban ng personal. Hanggang doon lang. Pagkatapos ng eleksyon magkaibigan parin kami,” he said.
Despite the ambush, the governor stood firm in his fight against the drug menace in his province. “Hindi ako natatakot labanan ang drugs. Kasi pag ako natakot, ang buong mamamayan ng Lanao del Sur at ibang kababayan natin, sinong magde depensa sa kanila?” the governor asked.
BARRM PNP Regional Director BGen John Guyguyon has confirmed the death of a certain “Otin” believed to be the lookout during the ambush incident.
“He was believed to be a lookout according sa ibang mga impormasyon natin. At bina-validate ng ating mga kasamahan doon and our intel. And he is also believed to be anak or kamag-anak siguro, or relative of one of the persons of interest natin doon sa ambush na ‘yan. In associate lang doon sa mga rough information coming from the people na tumutulong din,” the PNP chief said.
He said according to an intel report, “Otin” was a relative of alias “Fighter,” a leader of an armed group involved in kidnapping, shooting incidents and illegal drugs.
DRUG SYNDICATE EYED BEHIND THE AMBUSH
Police detectives aren’t ruling out the idea that a drug cartel was responsible for the recent ambush of this province’s governor Mamintal “Bombit” Adiong, Jr.
Prior to the ambush, agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) demolished a marijuana plantation in Maguing town with an estimated value of P5 million.
Police authorities claimed this could be among the “angles” eyed in the ongoing probe since a big sum of money was lost to the drug cartel operating in Mindanao due to the burning of the Marijuana farm in Maguing town.
