The City Government of Zamboanga has strongly urged the police to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation into a reported shootout that left three people dead and three others wounded in a west coast village.
Official Statement
Secretary to the Mayor and Chief of Staff Celso Lobregat made the request during a meeting on Thursday, April 23, with top police officials, including Police Brigadier General Edwin Quilates, director of the Police Regional Office-Zamboanga Peninsula.
Details of the Incident
The shootout occurred around 1:30 a.m. on Thursday, April 23, in Alas-as Drive, Sinunuc village, Zamboanga City. Authorities were serving a warrant of arrest against Saddam Siddick, a Basilan-based member of the Dawlah Islamiya-Abu Sayyaf Group, who has four outstanding warrants for murder.
According to police reports, two unidentified male individuals believed to be associates of Siddick opened fire when the warrant servers identified themselves as members of the police and military.
Lobregat clarified in a press conference that the warrant was intended for Siddick, not for the victim Jerry Alfad, a member of the Lupon Tagapamayapa in Barangay Sinunuc. Siddick was not present when the warrant was served.
Victims
Killed in the incident were Jerry Alfad, 52; his 12-year-old son, Salam; and his nephew, Rayyan, 22, a sardine factory worker. Among the wounded is Mislie, 18, a Sangguniang Kabataan councilor in Sinunuc village and a niece of Alfad. The other two wounded are also relatives of Alfad.
Lobregat emphasized, "That's why when we met earlier, we insisted that there really be a very thorough and impartial investigation."
Police Response
Quilates informed Lobregat that a team has already been formed to handle the investigation. Sinunuc Village chief Pilarica Ledesma, who previously served as a village watchman and later as a Lupon Tagapamayapa member, is cooperating with authorities.
The Lupong Tagapamayapa is the official barangay-level body tasked with resolving neighborhood disputes through mediation and conciliation, promoting grassroots justice and decongesting courts. It is chaired by the village chief and consists of 10 to 20 voluntary community members aiming to preserve harmony.
