Fundamentalists eyed in slay of Baguio Muslim leader

BAGUIO CITY – Police are probing role of fundamentalist groups in the killing of Muslim preacher and leader Bedejim Abdullah, an instructor of the Philippine Military Academy who was shot dead here at the city’s public market by a man 11:30 a.m. Thursday.

Police are still probing motive of the mysterious attack as he was reportedly the object of death threats and no one from the Muslim community have  yet come forward to shed light on the matter at press time.

Baguio City Mayor Mauricio Domogan directed police to “immediately arrest the gunman to give justice to the senseless killing.”

According to Chief Insp. Eddie Bagto, Baguio City Police Office Station 1 commander, the shooting incident occurred in front of Kayang Business Center, where Imam Bedejim Abdullah of km 6, Cabanao, Balili, La Trinidad, Benguet was attacked.

During the attack, a stray bullet hit a still unidentified saleslady in her knee.

Both Bedejim and the saleslady were taken to the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center, where the former died while being treated at the emergency room.

The saleslady was undergoing operation at the same hospital at press time.

               Police said Bedejim was walking towards Kayang Business Center when a male suspect -- who was seen in a CCTV footage wearing black jacket, ball cap and white mask -- suddenly shot him several times in his back and ran to the direction of Abanao Street, where he disappeared.

Some men ran to apprehend him but he was fast.

The site where the shooting occurred was about 200 meters away from the headquarters of the Baguio City Police Office. 

Sources said the victim was a peace advocate and was friendly to the media and even attended some of their affairs.

He was reportedly instrumental in converting some Cordillerans to the Muslim faith.

A video obtained by police showed Bedejim Abdullah walking into the entrance of Discovery Islam, an Islamic education institution along Kayang St., when he was shot four times.

Abdullah teaches Islamic theology at the PMA.

Police checked CCTV camera footage and investigating the motive behind the killing but have not yet come up with a statement on their findings at press time.

Abdullah Samsoden Monib, a friend and colleague of the victim, said that Abdullah had no personal or business enemies, but mentioned that he had been receiving threats from alleged fundamentalist groups.

If you are spreading the right teaching, then you can be sure that other sectors will threaten you," he added.

Lawyer Yasser Guru, provincial head of the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos in Baguio City condemned the killing and urged authorities to intensify their operations to get into the bottom of Abdullah’s murder.

Abdullah, who is survived by his seven children from two Muslim marriages was reportedly brought to a Muslim cemetery in Norzagaray, Bulacan where he was buried. – With reports from Liza Agoot and Dionisio Dennis, Jr. of PNA