Sultan Kudarat town mayor cheats death

By Ronron
January 15, 2007

A town mayor in Sultan Kudarat province escaped death on Monday after two armed men opened fire near his residence, police said.

Mayor Felipe Allaga of Bagumbayan municipality was aboard his pick-up with a bodyguard and was about to leave his residence in the town proper when the motorcycle-riding suspects opened fire at around 7:45 am yesterday.

Who was hit, however, was Allaga’s personal employee, identified only as Paterno, 57, who, at that time, was working on the mayor’s hollow block business just outside his residence.

Supt. Ping Tucao, Sultan Kudarat Provincial Police Director, said Paterno died on the spot due to multiple gunshot wounds.

Recovered from the crime scene after the suspects fled away were three empty shells of caliber 45 pistol.

Tucao said Allaga was not hurt, nor was his car hit.

Tucao said Allaga refused yet to give any statement about the incident as he was still in shock.

But he is confident that the mayor has no political enemies because “he is a good man.”

“I think he has no enemy because this is already his last term as mayor,” Tucao said of Allaga.

Tucao said one of the suspects was promptly arrested at around 12 noon at the next town of Isulan after police all over the province immediately conducted checkpoints.

Tucao said the suspect, Ramil Ulama, who is the alleged gunman, was aboard a motorcycle and had a caliber 45 pistol when intercepted.

“He was subsequently identified by witnesses as the gunman. But we will also subject him to examination, as well as the gun for confirmation,” Tucao said of Ulama.

Tucao said a charge of murder is already being prepared against Ulama./DMS