A VILLAGE official and two others escaped unscathed while another was wounded in a gun attack in the province of Basilan, the police said Monday, September 7, 2026.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Janz Vladimir Hilarion, Lamitan City police station officer-in-charge, identified the unscathed village official as Alvin Aransail, 39, the village chairperson of Sabong, Lamitan City, Basilan province.
The other two unscathed individuals are identified as Nurhudin Aransail, 25, a Civilian Volunteer Organization member, and Ramil Eramie Jajuli, 26, a Barangay Peacekeeping Action Team member.
Wounded was Antonio Escotu. He was rushed to the Lamitan District Hospital.
Hilarion said the incident happened around 9:45 a.m. Monday, September 7, along the highway in Sabong village, Lamitan City.
Hilarion said the village official was seated inside a waiting shed with three other individuals when two masked men aboard a motorcycle arrived and opened fire.
He said the gunmen fled towards downtown Lamitan City after the attack and reportedly proceeded in the direction of a neighboring municipality.
He said recovered at the crime scene were five empty shells .9-mm pistol and one empty shell of a caliber .45 pistol.
He said they have yet to determine the motive of the incident, as investigation continues to identify, locate and arrest the two perpetrators. (SunStar Zamboanga)