BAYOG, Zamboanga del Sur — A couple believed to be staunch supporters of incumbent Mayor Celso Matias were brutally killed in Purok 5, Barangay Sigacad, Bayog on Thursday, just 11 days before the upcoming elections on May 12.
The victims were identified as Jino Mamucan (also referred to in reports as Gino Baco), and his partner Alma Andugel. The couple, who had five or six young children, were found dead with gunshot and stab wounds. According to reports, Alma sustained multiple stab wounds, while Jino was riddled with bullets from an M14 assault rifle, based on the empty shells recovered at the scene.
Authorities suspect politics as the primary motive for the killing. Mayor Matias disclosed that armed men had previously attempted to coerce the couple to switch allegiance from his camp to that of his rival, mayoral candidate Jun Babasa. The victims reportedly refused to leave Matias’s political team despite pressure.
Mayor Matias, who is running for his third term, also confirmed that Jino was an active member of the Civilian Volunteer Organization (CVO) and received a monthly honorarium from the local government.
A joint force of police and military personnel has been deployed to launch a wide-scale manhunt for the suspects, while investigations continue to determine the full circumstances behind the attack.
Local authorities and residents expressed outrage over the incident, which has heightened tensions in the area as the elections draw near.