In my recent entry on Barangay ERV (Election Related Violence) I briefly discussed an incident that took place at an AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) checkpoint.The incident,in the town of Buldon in Maguindano Province occurred when the convoy of a local politician was searched and the soldiets discovered that the gentleman had stolen a Ballot Box from that town,Buldon,despite the man serving as an executive in another municipality.
The politician,Vice Mayor Alexander Tomawis,of Barira in that same province was on the "Election Watch List"of the 603rd Bde (Brigade),the element manning that checkpoint because during the synchronised Local and National Elections of 2010 he been caught doing the same exact thing in absolutely identical circumstances.What is it with Tomawis and Ballot Boxes? Some kind of degenerate fetish? Hardly.The town in which he was caught,Buldon,is the town employing his wife,Fatima Ruth Aratuc Tomawis as Mayor.In the first incident he was doing his best to ensure his wife's victory in that mayoralty campaign.The most recent incident though was an attempt by Tomawis to consolidate his wife's hold on Buldon by clearing out any residual opposition.
Vice Mayor Tomawis is himself a veteran of the local political minefield. A longtime ally of Ampatuan Dynasty he was one of the provincial mayors who formed the backbone of Ampatuan control.As such he enjoyed free reign in Northern Maguindano and as we see with his actions over these last two elections he can't seem to understand that times have changed in a very meaningful way. Indeed he should have had that reliasation down pat given the fact that he had reached his mandatory term as Mayor and had to step aside and assume the subservient position of Vice Mayor.One imagines that had to sting but how much more when the new Mayor is your own mother?
After the new Mayor,his mother, Rocaya Dagalangit Tomawis was more than amenable when her son asked for a sabbatical so as to be able to relocate temporary to Davao City. Seeing as how its her own son,and seeing as how his life was now in danger over his Election Day hijinx she practically kicked him out of Barira. Tomawis then took a flat (apartment) on Hill Drive Street in Davao City's Buhangin District.
Davao City has served as a sort of DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) amongst many Filipino-Muslims. Long seen as a refuge of sorts it has become the home away from home for just about every powerful Maguindanowan (Maguidanoan) Clans.However,in what seems to have evolved into a running theme in this entry,times have changed.After all,time was when deliberatelly attacking a rival clan's womenfolk or innocent bystanders when engaging in"Rido"(Clan Warfare) was ALSO not engaged in but we all know what happened with that,just ask Governor Esmael"Toto"Mangudadatu (whose wife and sisters were raped and killed in the Ampatuan Massacre).
On Monday,November 29,2010 Vice Mayor Tomawis was sitting on a bench in front of his apartment building with 2 bodyguards and 3 men from Buldon, the town which his wife sits as Mayor.The 3 men,Sultan Tamugan,Hadji Maluag and an unnamed Ustadz (Islamic teacher) were there for a schedualed appointment,when 2 young men riding tandem on a black Honda XRM motorcycle pulled into the parking lot and dismounted. Striding over to the bench while inferring that they also had an appointment with Tomawis they left their full face helmets fastened on their heads.Interestingly, in a town famous for extra-judicial executions perpertrated by men riding tandem, nobody,including the 2 bodyguards found it all strange the youn men wouldn't remove their helmets. As the duo stepped closer,the youth wearing a blue striped polo shirt then pulled out a 9MM from the rear of his waistband and shot Tomawis in the head, immediately killing Tomawis.
Neighbours reported afterwards that earlier in the day those 2 young men had approached residents of the building asking for Tomawis' unit,saying that they needed a signature for a package.Unable to ascertain the exact unit they had seen the meeting on the bench and quickly took advantage and shot the victim.
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