NEWS
29May
Datu Piang LGU condemns fatal shooting of re-elected councilor
- May 29, 2025
- Taher G. Solaiman
- HITS: 845
Police authorities, supported by military personnel, have launched a full-scale manhunt for the two assailants responsible for the attack.
Councilor-elect Asim, a prominent agriculture businessman, sustained multiple gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital following the 3:45 p.m. incident in Barangay Poblacion.
According to Lt. Col. Jopy Ventura, spokesperson for the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (PRO-BAR), the attack occurred directly in front of Asim's copra buy-and-sell establishment.
Initial police investigations revealed that two men, described as wearing black shirts and dark glasses, approached Asim's business. They reportedly inquired about copra prices before suddenly opening fire on the councilor.
The assailants then fled the scene on a motorbike.
In a strong statement, Datu Piang Mayor Victor Samama expressed his outrage over the killing.
"Councilor Asim was a dedicated public servant whose commitment to the welfare of his constituents was unwavering," Samama said, highlighting the community's loss.
Asim was a partymate of Samama under the United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP), the political arm of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). He had just been re-elected to his third and final term as municipal councilor in the May 12 midterm elections.
The UBJP-Maguindanao del Sur chapter also issued a statement denouncing the killing, characterizing it as "an attack not only on an individual but on the values of democracy, public service, and peace that we all strive to uphold."
Authorities are urging anyone with information regarding the incident to come forward as the pursuit of justice for Asim continues.
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