COTABATO CITY (MindaNews / 22 August) — A 32-year-old ustadz (Islamic scholar), who was an active member of the Bangsamoro Darul Iftah, a council that issues legal opinions on Islamic laws, was killed in a shooting incident here before dusk Monday.
The victim, who was also a local radio announcer, was identified as Mohammad Hessam Midtimbang, son of Cotabato City administrator Guiadzuri Midtimbang and brother of City Councilor Wahab Midtimbang.
He was shot by the still unidentified suspects at past 5 p.m. in front of a fruit stand area along Gov. Gutierrez Avenue, Rosary Heights 9, just a few meters away from the Bangsamoro Government Complex.
Maj. John Vincent Bravo, Police Station 2 commander, said the victim suffered gunshot wounds from a .45 caliber pistol.
“The victim just came out from a nearby massage parlor and was about to board his car when the suspects who waited for him launched the attack,” Bravo told reporters.
The suspects, who were riding-in-tandem on a motorcycle, immediately fled the crime scene.
Police recovered at least six slugs of empty .45 caliber pistol shells in the area.
Victim Midtimbang died in the hospital.
Last week, Pedro Tato Jr., chief of city hall’s Office of General Services, survived a gun attack by riding-in-tandem suspects along Sebastian Street here while on the way to the office.
His driver, Dandy Anonat, was killed in the incident. Tato was wounded in the shoulder.
The attacked happened a few minutes after a hooded suspect lobbed a grenade at the residence of former Commission on Elections chairperson Sheriff Abas at Barangay Rosary Heights 3 here.
No one was hurt in the grenade attack.
The city government offered a P300,000 bounty for information leading to the arrest of the suspects for each of the recent attacks.
So far, none has been apprehended.
Col. Querubin Manalang Jr., Cotabato City police director, said they have yet to establish the motives and identify the suspects in the recent attacks. (Ferdinandh B. Cabrera / MindaNews)