THE Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group filed charges of frustrated murder and multiple attempted murders against six Cotabato City officials and a policeman in connection with the failed assassination of Vice Mayor Datu Muslimin G. Sema on Jan. 10.

Charged were Cotabato City Mayor Japal Guani, Jr., lawyer Cynthia G. Sayadi, her husband Omar Sayadi, City Councilors Graham G. Dumama and Abdilla Lim, Barangay Chairman Amil Sula and Police Insp. Noel L. Gutierrez, formerly the deputy station commander of Cotabato City police who was among those who first responded at the crime scene.

The charges were filed yesterday by the CIDG Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Regional Office under Supt. Leo E. Quevedo before the Department of Justice.

PNP-CIDG chief Director Samuel D. Pagdilao, Jr. said the Special Investigation Task Group “Sema” headed by the CIDG-ARMM field office have established that the suspects conspired to assassinate Sema.

Pagdilao said politics was behind the attempt to kill Sema, a three-term mayor of Cotabato City before he won the vice-mayoralty race in 2010 polls.

Quevedo said Sema’s plan to run for mayor of Cotabato City in the 2013 elections is enough reasons for the suspects to plan the murder. He said the local government officials were charged for the conspiracy while Insp. Gutierrez for allegedly withholding vital evidence.

Quevedo said that police first responders attested that Gutierrez ordered them to search the wounded gunman identified as Zermin M. Abdullah for any deadly weapon. One of the policemen recovered a cellphone from Abdullah and turned it over to Gutierrez.

Quevedo said they found out during investigation that Gutierrez tried to influence his men to deny that a mobile phone was recovered from the gunman.

Quevedo said witnesses’ claimed Mayor Guiani and the other suspects were seen together at a firing range owned by City Administrator Sayadi.

Sema and his aides were ambushed on Gonzalo Javier Street, Rosary Heights 7, Cotabato City.