BY ZEA CAPISTRANO * MALU CADELINA MANAR
DAVAO CITY – The Bangsamamoro government vowed to conduct its separate investigation on the shooting to death of eight people in Kabacan, Cotabato on Saturday.
In a statement on Sunday, the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) expressed grief over the killing of eight people by unidentified armed men onboard white pickup truck in Barangay Aringay.
“These senseless violent acts have no place in a progressive society, especially at a time when people are in a grip of a global pandemic,” it said.
The Bangsamoro government added that although the incident happened outside its area of jurisdiction, “all of the victims identified were Bangsamoros.”
“In view of this and the fact that we have received different reports from our communities, the Bangsamoro Government will also be conducting its separate investigation on this brutality,” it said.
It also said that BARMM is ready to cooperate with the provincial government of North Cotabato and the municipal government of Kabacan “to get into the bottom of this ruthless killing.”
The shooting incident occurred around 12:20 p.m. on Saturday.
Police Major Peter Pinalgan, chief of the Kabacan municipal police station, said the victims were onboard motorcycles on their way to the town center when at least five armed men fired upon them.
Pinalgan said that based on the recovered spent bullets, the suspects used high-powered long guns.
One of the motorists was rushed to the Kabacan Polymedic Hospital for treatment but also died around 4pm. (With a report from Keith Bacongco)
