Bongao mayor survives ambush in Zamboanga

COTABATO CITY - Unidentified gunmen on board a motorbike shot and wounded the mayor of Bonga, Tawi-Tawi while he was driving his pick-up vehicle on Sunday morning, authorities said.Bongao Mayor Jasper Que has two armed bodyguards but failed to fire back on one of the two suspects after they opened fire on the town executive at about 9 .m.Police said themayor was drivingalong San Jose Road, near the Baliwasan Central School when the suspects positioned beside the driver's side.Que had just come fromthe Zamboanga City International Airport at the time of the ambush.A city-wide manhunt had been launched against the suspects. Police are also studying the CCTV footage that captured the incident.Que was hit in his arm, buttocks and leg and is now confined at a Zamboanga City hospital.Police have launched a manhunt for the assailants and are looking into whether the ambush was politically motivated.Que is not seeking reelection as Bongao town mayor but his brother is eyeing his post.It was not clear if the incident was related to the coming elections.Que is a member of the ruling Liberal Party.He is only insecond term, serving Bongan since 2010.Que, son of former Bongao Mayor Alfred Que, was quoted as saying he dropped his reelection bid to focus in the campaign for LP presidential bet Mar Roxas and Regional Gov Mujiv Hataman of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.Tawi-Tawi has more than 40,000 registered voters.Que is a relative of Sulu Vice Gov. Abdusakur Tan who is challenging Hataman, his partymate.