Clan war eyed in DavSur town ambush

From the Philippine News Agency (Oct 31): Clan war eyed in DavSur town ambush

Police are eyeing pangayaw or clan war of the B’laan tribe as the motive behind the ambush staged by undetermined number of armed men on Sunday night in Kimlawis, Kiblawan, Davao del Sur.

"According sa mga katigulangan diri nga B’laan kay mostly mga B’laan adunay pangayaw nga dugay na na kaso nila (According to the B’laan elders here, there is a clan war already existed in this town. Most of the victims belong to the B’laan tribe),” Kiblawan police acting chief Senior Insp. Erich Von C. Requilman said.

Requilaman said based on his interview with the National Commission on Indigenous People (NCIP), clan wars and family feud within the B’laan tribe already existed in different barangays in the town.

This as death rose to two after one of the critically injured students died Monday. He said they are now looking at the angle of pangayaw or clan war as the motive of the crime.

Victims identified by Kiblawan Municipal Police Station (MPS) as Jimboy Linkanay, 16, who was immediately killed right after the ambush while Neilbert Malason who was confined at Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) in Davao City, died after suffering complications due to serious injuries.

The wounded were identified as James Paul Samo, 18; Mildred Linkanay, 15; Jiv Cris Malalay,17; Jimboy Sumali,25; Marlon Malanson; Mark Gil Tol, truck driver and Aries Caluyan, 15.

Although the victims were mostly students, the police could not point out that they are targeting someone, but maybe one of the students is a member of the family who has feud with other clan.

“Maybe, one of the families of the victims involved in pangayaw and the suspects took vengeance on these students,” he said.

In an interview at Davao del Sur Provincial Hospital, victim Jimboy Sumali said they were surprised with the gun burst when they were about to reach the area.

Sumali said that during the ambush, they did not notice the suspects because the area was so dark.

He said after the suspects successfully turned-down the truck, they immediately fled from the area.

For his part, Balansina Linkanay, father of Jimboy, confirmed that the ambush was really a pangayaw. “It hurts me (because) my son is not at fault on this,” he said.

He said that the one who ambushed him before was maybe the group who attacked the students that killed his son.

Requilman recalled that around 8 p.m. of October 29, his station received a call on the incident which happened in area, as the truck that brought the students from Kiblawan Proper was allegedly ambushed.

“Ang mga estudyante sa Kimlawis National High School, nag apil sila sa Maral de Dalan or Street Dancing sa B’laan para sa Damsu Festival diri nga three days (These students of Kimlawis National High School joined the Maral de Dalan or Street Dancing in B’laan for the three-day Damsu Festival of the town),” he said.

Requilman said that after 150 meters away from Kimlawis Proper, the group of men fired on the vehicle.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1014438