Cotabato village councilman, brother killed in gun attack

COTABATO CITY — Unidentified gunmen shot and killed a village councilman and his brother in Barangay Lower Paatan, Kabacan, Cotabato, before dawn Wednesday.

The Kabacan municipal police office said the shooting of village councilman Patacpan Maganaka and his brother Ibrahim Maganaka occurred at about 1 a.m., during a village disco event, following an altercation between the official and an unidentified man.

Kabacan Mayor Evangelyn de Guzman, who visited and condoled with the family Wednesday morning, has condemned the shooting and directed the police to bring the perpetrators behind bars.

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The elder Maganaka and his brother, Ibrahim, the barangay bookkeeper, were supervising the disco event in the village when they had an altercation with unidentified disco guests.

The man left but returned with a pistol and shot the siblings.  A minor was hit by stray bullet.

Guzman said she has already directed the Kabacan police to conduct a thorough investigation and ensure those responsible will be held accountable under the law.

“As the mother of the town, I join the call for justice for Barangay Kagawad Bayan Patacpan Maganaka and Barangay Bookkeeper Ibrahim Patacpan Maganaka,” Guzman said in a statement.

She said the siblings had long worked with the municipal government in implementing development and peace initiatives in Kabacan.

Guzman appealed to all groups to remain calm, noting that various sectors were working together to ensure justice for the victims.

She urged residents to continue respecting one another and working together to maintain peace and promote the municipality’s development.

The siblings were buried before 3 p.m. Wednesday in accordance with Islamic tradition./coa