3 wounded in Zamboanga Sur election-related incident

• Source:http://www.sunstar.com.ph/zamboanga/local-news/2016/04/29/3-wounded-zamboanga-sur-election-related-incident-470797
• Saturday, April 30, 2016

By Bong Garcia

THREE people, including a 12-year-old girl, were wounded in an election related incident in the province of Zamboanga del Sur, the police reported.

Senior Superintendent Michael Nicolas, Zamboanga del Sur police director, said the incident took place around 9:30 a.m., Wednesday, at Purok 4 in the village of Guma, Midsalip town.

Nicolas identified the victims as follows: Leonida Ganar, 50, Mario Diosmano, 60, and Junieza May Dumaog, 12.

Nicolas said they were hit by stray bullets after the suspect, Michael Umban, opened fire but missed his target, Eduardo Selim, the village chairperson of Matalang, Midsalip.

Selim was driving a motorcycle when Umban, also driving a motorcycle, overtook and shot him as the would-be victim was about to stop in front of the residence of Midsalip Vice Mayor Leonila Angcap, who is a candidate for mayor, according to Nicolas.

He said Selim is a supporting the candidacy of Angcap while Umban is a supporter of mayoralty candidate Condrado Lumacad.

He said Umban sped off but crashed into the banana plants 50 meters away from the crime scene. The suspect fled on foot.

Angcap said they were conducting voters’ education with their leaders and supports when Umban shot Selim. She was inside her residence at the time of the incident.

Aside from Angcap and Lumacad, the other mayoralty candidate in Midsalip is Nene Lumaad. All of them are former mayors.

Meanwhile, Nicolas said the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has placed the municipality of Midsalip in the list of areas of concern in relation to the conduct of local and national elections on May 9.

Nicolas said Midsalip is the fourth municipality in Zamboanga del Sur to be placed by Comelec under the list of areas of concern.

The other three towns are Aurora, Dinas, and Tukuran, he said.