Maguindanao exec hurt in hacking, 3 hurt in strafing

COTABATO CITY -- Police are hunting down people behind the hacking and strafing incidents in Parang, Maguindanao that injured the municipal administrator and 3 others, police said.

“We believed the two separate incidents were related,” Police Major Rajiv Alih, police chief of Parang municipal police station, said.

He identified the hacking victim as Municipal Administrator Usman Ibay III, a resident of Parang and brother of town Mayor Ibrahim Ibay.

Alih said initial investigation showed that Ibay and his companions were at the police center in Parang Central Elementary School when a commotion ensued between Ibay’s group and supporters of rival candidates at about 9 a.m.

Ibay was attacked by a machete and was hit in his arm. His companions rushed him to the hospital and is now out of danger.

About an hour later, a house in Polloc, Barangay Landasan, Parang, Maguindanao was attacked by gunmen.
Alih said unidentified gunmen on board a vehicle arrived in Barangay Landasan and opened fire on a roadside house that left three persons injured.

Alih said there were indications the two separate incidents were related and manhunt was on going to identify and arrest the perpetrators.

The injured were rushed to Cotabato Regional and Medical Center for medication.

Alih said generally the election in Parang was generally peaceful although there were some VCM glitches.