Suspect in killing of college scholar surrenders to Cotabato officials

COTABATO CITY, Philippines – A 31- year old man has voluntarily surrendered to Cotabato City officials and admitted he was behind the March 10 killing of Michael Jan Mangulamas, a working scholar of Notre Dame University.

Cotabato Mayor Bruce Matabalao and Cotabato City police chief Colonel Querubin Manalang Jr. presented the suspect, Mohaimen Adzal, to the media at the mayor’s office in city hall on Friday, March 15.

The suspect, who is from Pagalungan, Maguindanao del Sur, wore a cap, a jacket and a face mask that concealed his appearance. Reporters were not allowed to ask him questions, and it was Matabalao who relayed information about the case to the media.

On Adzal’s reason for killing 21-year-old Mangulamas, the mayor said, “He didn’t know the reason, he just murdered the victim when he saw him.”

“We consider the case as closed now. No more speculations or whatsoever,” Matabalao said. 

Police chief Manalang, when asked earlier, told reporters that the motive they were looking into is something “personal” in nature.

Matabalao said the suspect sent surrender feelers to the city government through the efforts of the camp of Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education Minister Mohagher Iqbal.

The suspect surrendered nearly a week after the killing of Mangulamas along De Mazenod Avenue in Cotabato City.

Adzal was shot on his way from from a Sunday church activity. He sustained multiple gunshot wounds and died immediately.

The incident sent shock waves across the city.

Notre Dame University students and several netizens condemned the attack and demanded justice for Mangulamas, and victims of unsolved cases of past shooting incidents. – Rappler.com