ZAMBOANGA CITY — An incumbent village chief of Lamitan City and his cohorts surrendered to the military in Basilan Province after killing two individuals who were supporting his rival in the 2023 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections.

Initial reports disclosed by Brig. Gen. Alvin  Luzon, commander of the 101st Infantry (Three Red Arrows) Brigade, on Wednesday revealed that the incident took place during the canvassing of votes inside the Balagtasan Elementary School Lamitan City at about 11 p.m.

The victims were identified as Unnang Jewelry and Sagon Jailun, an Army reservist who were both uncles of Arjun Jailun, an aspirant for village chief of Balagtasan in Lamitan City.

Luzon identified the suspects as incumbent Barangay Balagtasan chairperson Abdul Pangli-As, his son Abzhar Pangli-As and nephew Jhulbin Suntol.

The three formally surrendered to Luzon at the 101st IB and turned over firearms they used in the killing of Jewelry and Jailun at about 7 a.m. on Tuesday.

According to Luzon, the three had earlier tried to seek refuge at a Moro Islamic Liberation Front stronghold in the province but was denied by the MILF leaders in the province and instead asked them to surrender to the military.

The three suspects will be turned over to the Lamitan City Police Office for proper investigation and filing of appropriate charges in court.

Meantime, House Deputy Minority Leader and Basilan Representative Mujiv Hataman also played a vital role in the surrender of the three suspects as he advised the embattled village chief to accept defeat in the elections.

"Let's start again a new beginning and live a normal life. The election is just a contest of who should serve as leader of the village," Hataman said, adding that the Commission on Elections has proclaimed Jailun  as the new village chief of Barangay Balagtasan in Lamitan.