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Wednesday, October 08, 2003
2 passengers injured in public van ambush
By Aquiles Zonio
TACURONG CITY, Sultan Kudarat -- Two passengers were injured when five motorcycle-riding men ambushed a public utility van bound for Koronadal City last Monday morning.
Brig. Gen. Agustin Dema-ala, 301st Army Brigade commander based in Tacurong City, Sultan Kudarat, said the van came from Cotabato City and was cruising the National Highway particularly in Barangay Magilla, Tantangan town, South Cotabato around 8:45 a.m. when the suspects suddenly appeared and fired at the vehicle.
The injured victims were identified as a certain Pastor Saguran and Guiamaludin Simpal.
They were rushed to a local hospital in Koronadal City after sustaining varying degrees of injuries. Seven other passengers of the van were unhurt during the attack.
During the investigation, the police and military found out the ambush could be related to the leadership issue bugging Cotabato City Polytechnic College.
One of the nine van passengers was a certain Dr. Diangan Ali who assumed the position of school president barely two months ago.
Witnesses claimed that early Monday morning they already saw the suspects in the area, just a few kilometers away from the headquarters of the 301st Army Brigade.
The military rushed to the crime scene but the suspects already escaped towards the hinterland part of Tantangan town.
This is not the first time Sultan Kudarat has experienced similar violent incidents.
Last month, heavily armed men tried to abduct a Filipino-American businessman in the capital town of Isulan but were foiled after their target fought back.
Instead, the retreating gunmen took away with them three of the businessman's bodyguards.
Weeks earlier, about ten unidentified men armed with assorted high-powered firearms also tried but failed to kidnap another wealthy trader in nearby Tacurong City.
(October 8, 2003 issue)
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