BAGUIO CITY – An influential leader of the Muslim community in the city died after he was gunned down by a still unidentified gun-wielding suspect while he was on his way to his office along the junction of Kayang and Chugum Streets, here, shortly before lunch Thursday.
Chief Inspector Eddie Bagto, commander of the Baguio City Police Office (BCPO) Station No. 7, identified the fatality as Imam Bidijim Abdullah, 55, married and one of the influential Muslim leaders in Baguio City for over a decade now.
He narrated that the victim was walking along the road while on his way to his office when he was followed by the lone suspect who successively fired at him from his back that caused him to be sprawled bloodied on the concrete pavement which resulted to panic among passers-by.
Based on the closed circuit television camera in the area, the suspect immediately fled towards an undisclosed direction and is now the subject of a manhunt operation by responding police operatives.
Bagto claimed that the suspect a calibre .45 pistol in the perpetration of the crime based on the empty shells that were recovered by responding police operatives in the crime scene.
He added that the motive of the Muslim leader’s murder has yet to be established as probers are still gathering the testimonies of witnesses and pieces of evidence that will lead to the identification of the gunman and the mastermind.
Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan vehemently condemned the broad daylight murder of the Muslim leader, saying that he was a worthwhile representative of the Muslim community because he always makes himself available by attending city affairs representing the Muslims living in the different parts of the city.
“We call on the witnesses to the incident to help our local police force identify the gunman and the mastermind in the brutal murder of a well-loved Muslim leader who sacrificed his time, effort and resources to make us feel the presence of Muslims in our city,” Domogan stressed.
He claimed that Abdullah’s death will be a big loss for the Muslim community because he was able to bridge the gap between the Muslims and the Christians in the city by conducting numerous lecture series inculcating to the minds of the people the teachings of the Islam religion.
By Dexter A. See
