By AARON RECUENCO
Unidentified gunmen ambushed a vehicle with an Army major on board in San Jose, Occidental Mindoro, resulting in the wounding of the military officer and the death of his two companions.
Robbery is being eyed as the motive behind the attack since Maj. Ephtaem Domingo was reportedly carrying the subsistence allowance of all military patrol bases in Occidental Mindoro.
The attack killed two soldiers with ranks of corporal and sergeant.
Domingo, on the other hand, was wounded along with a militiaman identified as Willy Gregorio.
Police Lt. Col. Imelda Tolentino, spokesperson of the MIMAROPA (Mindoro Occidental and Oriental, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan) regional police, said the victims were on their way to the Naibuan detachment at around 4 p.m. on Wednesday when they were waylaid in Sitio Naitan in Barangay Batasan. .
The gunmen reportedly strafed the vehicle of the soldiers and allegedly carted away the money.
Lt. Col. Alexander Arbolado, commanding officer of the 4th Infantry Battalion, said the local residents interviewed told the investigators that the attackers were at least five men and on board a white van.
He said that the vehicle of Domingo noticed that the white van was tailing them and a few minutes later, a shootout occurred.
“We are looking at all angles of this attack,” said Arbolado.
Asked if local communist rebels carried out the attack, Arbolado said it is unlikely that the rebels did it since the mode of attack is not how the rebels work.
