NEWSFLASH

TIRURAY MAYOR OUSTED, TRIBESMEN BURN UPI TOWN HALL

Cotabato City, March 16, 2000 About 200 Tiruray tribesmen armed with arrows, knives and rifles burned down the South Upi town hall yesterday to protest the ouster of a mayor and prevent the new mayor, a non-Tiruray, from taking over.

The police, vastly outnumbered, could only watch helplessly as the tribesmen used gasoline to start the fire that torched the South Upi municipal hall. The group then proceeded to block the roads leading to the center of the town.

The tribesmen were protesting a court ruling declaring the incumbent mayor, Jovito Martin, won in the 1998 elections through cheating. The ruling declared as election winner Israel Sinsuat, a non-Tiruray Muslim.

“We have said before that we want a Tiruray mayor,” said Akas Derman, a tribal leader. We burned down the building so that the government will take notice and hear our voices.”

South Upi’s population is predominantly Tiruray.