6 hurt in BSKE-related attack in Tuburan, Basilan

COTABATO CITY — Six people, among them a barangay chairman seeking reelection, were hurt in an attack by an alleged member of the Philippine Coast Guard who ran amok in the premises of a polling site in Tuburan, Basilan on Monday morning.

Local executives and officials of the Bangsamoro regional government who hails from Basilan, identified the suspect as Said Yunos Uyag, a resident of Barangay Lahi-Lahi in Tuburan.

The sources told reporters here that Uyag is known in Basilan as a member of the PCG.

Reports reaching the office of Brig. Gen. Allan Nobleza, director of the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region, identified barangay chairman injured in the incident as Ibrahim Atang who, along with five others, were immediately rushed by responding policemen to hospital.

The Basilan Provincial Police Office had stated in its initial report to PRO-BAR's headquarters here  that the victims were attacked by Uyag and companions in the vicinity of a public school campus in Barangay Lahi-Lahi in Tuburan.

Tuburan is one of the 11 towns in Basilan that also has two cities, Lamitan and Isabela.

Circulating talks and text messages in Basilan stated that there were at least four men brandishing machetes behind Uyag as he went berserk and attacked the voters milling around the school campus.

The Tuburan Municipal Police Station has not yet reported the current whereabouts of Uyag and his accomplices.