By BEN BALCE
Staff member .
THE family of slain businessman and Lanao del Sur politician Abdul Rahim Batawi Adilao on Saturday challenged the police narrative on the circumstances surrounding the Dec. 7 shootout on Masterson Ave. in Upper Carmen here. They said they have evidence to show that the Adilao was provoked and forced to shoot back at two members of the Regional Highway Patrol Unit.
The Adilao family broke their silence 15 days after the Butig town mayoral candidate and SPO1 Serge de Constantine Maceren were killed in the afternoon shootout.
The Adilaos said their evidence is a CCTV recording that supposedly show that Maceren and SPO2 Lyndie Baltazar had the opportunity to arrest the politician at a gas station if he violated any law.
Adilao’s son Abunail, vice mayor of Butig town, said the use of force was unnecessary based on the CCTV recording.
Abunail said the recording showed that Maceren and Baltazar flagged down his father’s car twice.
He said the an officer was seen approaching and talking to Adilao while he was gassing up. The CCTV recording, he said, even showed the car’s door being opened.
“We were puzzled why the policemen didn’t apprehend my father right there and then if they saw him with a long firearm,” Abunail said.
Abunail said the CCTV recording then showed the police officers confronting Adilao for the second time.
It was during the second confrontation that the police officers and Adilao exchanged fire. That encounter resulted in the deaths, and the wounding of Baltazar.
Abunail said he doubted if his father had an M-4 baby armalite with him at that time. What his father owned was a licensed 9mm Glock that is now missing, he said.
He said his father received a death threat after he filed his certificate of candidacy for mayor in Butig.
At the same time, Abunail called for the release of Adilao’s fourth wife Joan Gomez, calling her a victim.
“We are asking the court to release Gomez as she has no participation in the incident. She is considered victim here,” said Abunail.
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