Daughter hints rival behind mayor’s slay

Rappler.com

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Slain Mayor Ukol Talumpa's daughter also requests security from the DOJ

STRIKE THREE. Labangan, Zamboanga del Sur Mayor Ukol Talumpa didn't survive the 3rd attempt to assasinate him. Photo from his official Facebook page.

MANILA, Philippines – The daughter of slain Labangan, Zamboanga del Sur Mayor Ukol Talumpa sought government protection on Sunday, December 22, after hinting her father’s political rival masterminded his murder at the country’s prime gateway.

In a letter to Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, Talumpa’s daughter, Rayyam, said an eyewitness “who stood next to my parents” said the gunman “was closely associated” with former Labangan Mayor Wilson Nandang.

Ms Talumpa identified the gunman as a former staff member of the Labangan local government unit (LGU).

She disclosed these details in the letter that the Department of Justice (DOJ) distributed to reporters on Monday, December 23.

In an interview with reporters, De Lima said she suspects “intense” political rivalry, Talumpa’s campaign against illegal drugs, and a clan war called rido as some of the motives behind the killing.

Mayor Talumpa, his wife, his nephew, and an 18-month-old baby died in the attack at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 on Friday, December 20. (READ: Mayor, wife shot dead at NAIA-3.)

Five others, including a 3-year-old girl, got injured. (READ: 3-year-old girl shot in head at NAIA.)

Mother, father’s ‘fault’

Narrating the events leading to her father’s death, Ms Talumpa said there was a “long delay” in retrieving the firearms of her father’s police escorts on Friday. This lasted for around 30 minutes.

She said this “caused my father’s impatience.” The mayor then went out “believing that the area was safe because there were uniformed policemen.”

“(But) unfortunately, one of them was a fake policeman who shot my father while shouting, ‘Mayor, mayor, para kay Kitty Nandang ito (Mayor, mayor, this is for Kitty Nandang),’ according to the eyewitness who stood next to my parents and identified the assailant as Marrox G. Amlong, who formely worked in the LGU of Labangan and was closely associated with former Mayor Wilson Nandang.”

Ms Talumpa noted that Nandang is in the watch list of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and is allegedly “the leader of the Nandang-Afdal-Malaco syndicate group.”

“I think that the fault of my mother and father was their strong advocacy against illegal drugs in the municipality of Labangan,” she said in her letter.

Rappler is still trying to reach Nandang’s camp as of posting time.

Nandang’s son was killed in an ambush in September this year in Lanao del Sur. Police sources told Rappler that the suspect behind that ambush was the late Mayor Talumpa.

In her letter, Ms Talumpa noted that “so many killings in Labangan” can be attributed to Nandang.

De Lima said, “(Talumpa) was battling illegal drugs in the area so he’s been accusing the former mayor of really being involved in drugs.”

She said authorities have identified the suspects, but she refused to disclose their names.

Mayor’s daughter: Protect us

Ms Talumpa said her camp has “material witnesses who are now in hiding but we can’t produce them once your team from DOJ will come down to Labangan.”

She said these witnesses have given their statements to Task Force Talumpa, which is assigned to look into the case. They “intend to supplement” these sword statements “as they have now come to identify the identity of the cohort of the assailants.”

Ms Talumpa then requested the DOJ to send a team from the National Bureau of Investigation immediately to Labangan.

She also asked the DOJ “to provide us the necessary assistance” after members of their family received threats.

“Madam Secretary, we are relying so much on the ‘Daang Matuwid’ (‘Straight Path’ of President Aquino. Hopefully all these drug lords, killers, and other scalawags can be brought before justice the soonest time possible,” Ms Talumpa said.

The NAIA incident was the 3rd deadly attack that targeted Talumpa. (READ: FAST FACTS: Mayor Ukol Talumpa.)

Talumpa defeated Nandang in the 2013 elections. The mayor ran under the Nationalist People’s Coalition while Nandang ran under the ruling Liberal Party. – Paterno Esmaquel II/Rappler.com

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