By Teofilo Garcia, Jr.
ZAMBOANGA CITY – The city government has requested the police to conduct a thorough and impartial probe into a shootout early Thursday that left three people dead and three others wounded in Barangay Sinunuc.
Secretary to the Mayor and Chief of Staff Celso Lobregat made the request during a meeting with top police officials, including Police Regional Office-Zamboanga Peninsula Director Brig. Gen. Edwin Quilates.
The incident occurred around 1:30 a.m. in Alas-as Drive while authorities were serving an arrest warrant for murder against Saddam Siddick, a Basilan-based Dawlah Islamiya-Abu Sayyaf Group member.
Police reported that two unidentified men believed to be associates of Siddick opened fire when the joint police and military team introduced themselves to serve the warrant.
“The warrant of arrest was being served against Saddam Siddick; the name of the victim is Jerry Alfad, a member of the Lupon Tagapamayapa in Barangay Sinunuc,” Lobregat said in a press conference.
Lobregat clarified that the victim was not the individual named in the warrant and noted that Siddick was not present at the location when the shootout occurred.
The fatalities were identified as Alfad, 52; his 12-year-old son, Salam; and his nephew, Rayyan, 22, who was a local sardine factory worker.
Among the three wounded is 18-year-old Mislie, a Sangguniang Kabataan councilor and niece of Alfad, while the two other injured victims are also his relatives.
“That’s why when we met earlier, we insisted that there really be a very thorough and impartial investigation,” Lobregat emphasized during the briefing.
Quilates informed city officials that a specialized team has already been formed to handle the investigation into the circumstances of the deadly encounter.
Alfad had a long history of community service, having served as a village watchman before becoming a member of the Lupon Tagapamayapa.
The Lupon Tagapamayapa is a barangay-level body designed to resolve neighborhood disputes through mediation to promote grassroots justice and decongest the courts. (PNA)
