Philippine congressman wounded, 3 others killed in ambush

Published January 08, 2015

Police say a congressman from the southern Philippines has been wounded in an attack by gunmen that left at least two of his aides and a police officer dead.

Police chief Brian Inojaldo said five other bodyguards and aides of Rep. Vicente Belmonte were wounded in the ambush Thursday in Misamis Oriental province's Laguindingan township.

Inojaldo said Belmonte's group had just left Laguindingan's airport when gunmen in a van blocked their path and started shooting.

Belmonte told ANC television he believes the attack was "politically motivated" but did not identify any suspects. Political rivalries in the Philippines sometimes erupt into violence.

In the worst political violence in the country, 58 people, including 32 journalists, were killed allegedly on orders of a political clan in a southern province in 2009.

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