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The Honourable
Wahab Akbar
The Honourable Wahab Akbar
	Official portrait, 2007
Member of the House of Representatives from Basilan's at-large district
	In office; June 30, 2007 – November 13, 2007
Preceded by	Abdulgani A. Salapuddin
Succeeded by	Vacant ; (Position next held by Hadjiman S. Hataman-Salliman)
Governor of Basilan
	In office; June 30, 1998 – June 30, 2007
Preceded by	Abdulgani A. Salapuddin
Succeeded by	Jum Jainudin Akbar
Personal details
Born	April 16, 1960; Lantawan, Basilan, Philippines
Died	November 13, 2007 (aged 47); Quezon City, Philippines
Manner of death	Assassination
Political party	Liberal
Spouse(s)	Jum Jainudin Akbar (first wife); Cherrylyn Akbar (second wife); Nur-in Akbar (third wife); Marietta Zamoranos (fourth wife); Unidentified Syrian woman (fifth wife)
Alma mater	De La Salle Araneta University
Occupation	Politician

Ustadz Wahab M. Akbar (April 16, 1960 – November 13, 2007) was a Filipino politician who served three terms as governor of Basilan, during which time he was known for his "eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth" policy for dealing with kidnappers and terrorists in the province.^[1] He was later elected as congressman for the lone district of Basilan in the House of Representatives, but was one of 4 people killed in a bomb attack at the Batasang Pambansa. Police publicly suspected the attack was directed at him by political opponents.^[2]

Life

Wahab Akbar was born in Lantawan, Basilan where his father, Hadji Mohtamad Salajin, served as the town's first mayor.^[3] At age 11 Akbar joined his father to fight in the mountains, but after three years Salajin was persuaded to join the government and was appointed mayor of Lantawan by President Ferdinand Marcos.

He studied agriculture at Gregorio Araneta University (now De La Salle Araneta University),^[3] but did not finish.^[4] A member of the Liberal Party, Akbar was first elected governor of Basilan in the 1998 elections. He was reelected in 2001 and 2004.

Akbar was constitutionally barred from seeking a fourth consecutive term as governor. Instead, he successfully sought election to the Congress, representing the lone district of his home province. One of his wives won the election to succeed him as governor.^[5] Another of his wives is mayor of the provincial capital, Isabela City; A third wife ran, and lost, the race to be mayor of another city in Basilan.^[5]

He was strongly suspected of having ties with the Abu Sayyaf, an Islamic extremist group linked to Al Qaeda, with some reports even claiming that he was a founding member and a commander until a falling-out with the group.^[5]

Personal life

He was married to first wife Jum Jainnudin, second wife Cherry Lyn Santos, third wife Nur-in Akbar, fourth wife Marietta Zamoranos, and fifth wife who is a Syrian.

Death

On November 13, 2007, Akbar died at the Far Eastern University - Nicanor Reyes Medical Foundation Medical Center^[6]^[7] from injuries sustained following an explosion at the House of Representatives in the Batasang Pambansa complex.^[8] The blast also immediately killed the driver of another legislator.^[8] Three other congressional staff members would die from blast injuries, including one of Akbar's own aides.

According to National Capital Region Police Office chief, Director Geary Barias, Akbar could have been the target of the bombing, since his vehicle bore the brunt of the damage.^[9]

The next day, his body was brought to Basilan via Zamboanga City. His body was brought to the respective houses of his first two wives before being buried in front of his mansion in Barangay Sumagdang, Isabela which was then under construction.^[10]

Writ of Habeas Corpus

On December 14, 2007, in two-page resolution, the Supreme Court of the Philippines issued a writ of habeas corpus on petition of suspects Caidar Aunal, Adham Kusain, and Ikram Indama. It required the Philippine National Police's (PNP) Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), National Capital Region-Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit (NCR-CIDU) and the PNP Custodial Center to file returns before Quezon City Regional Trial Court Executive Judge Romeo Zamora on December 18.^[11] However, the family suspected that the head of the killing was close ally of Senator and future President Benigno Aquino III and Anak Mindanao Representative Mujiv Hataman.

References

^ 600 Armed Civilians Circle Abductors Lair. Philippine Daily Inquirer, February 7, 2009.
^ Papa, Alcuin; De la Cruz, Arlyn (November 15, 2007). "PNP: Akbar was target". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved November 15, 2007.
^ ^a ^b "Wahab Akbar profile". GMA News Online. Retrieved November 13, 2007.
^ "Wahab Akbar: The Terror of Basilan". GMA News Online. Archived from the original on July 27, 2011. Retrieved November 15, 2007.
^ ^a ^b ^c Addison, Adrian (November 14, 2007). "Manila Bomb: Terror or Vendetta". Time Magazine. Archived from the original on November 16, 2007. Retrieved November 15, 2007.
^ "Akbar dies, Teves in critical condition". ABS-CBN News Online. Archived from the original on July 9, 2007. Retrieved November 13, 2007.
^ "Basilan's Akbar, 1 more killed in House bombing". Philippine Daily Inquirer Online. Archived from the original on January 17, 2008. Retrieved November 13, 2007.
^ ^a ^b Conde, Carlos H. (November 14, 2007). "2 Dead in Blast at Philippine Congress". New York Times. Retrieved November 14, 2007.
^ "Akbar likely target of Batasan blast - NCRPO chief". GMANews.tv. Retrieved November 13, 2007.
^ Merueñas, Mark (November 14, 2007). "Wahab Akbar laid to rest near house in Basilan". GMANews.TV. Retrieved September 17, 2023.
^ "SC issues writ of habeas corpus for 3 suspects in Batasan blast". GMA News Online.