COTABATO CITY – Another official of the municipal government of Montawal, Maguindanao and a kin were killed in an ambush along the national highway of nearby Kabacan town in North Cotabato on Sunday.
The Kabacan municipal police station identified the fatalities as Ruben Mindalagat, 42, incumbent town councilor of Montawal town, and his relative, Mokamad Mindalagat.
The victims’ car, a Honda Fit wagon driven by the slain councilman, was traversing the highway of Barangay Kayaga when peppered with bullets by unidentified armed men at about 10:30 a.m., according to initial police investigation.
Responding policemen, citing residents’ accounts, said a companion of the Mindalagats was wounded in the ambush but had managed to flee and seek refuge in nearby houses in Barangay Kayaga.
Investigators recovered from the scene several spent shells of caliber 5.56 indicating the attackers used M-16 assault rifles.
Further investigation on the incident was launched jointly by the police stations of Kabacan, North Cotabato and Datu Montawal, Maguindanao to establish the possible motive and identities of the perpetrators. (Ali Macabalang)