Village chief, wife slain in Maguindanao Norte ambush

From the Philippine News Agency (Jan 31, 2023): Village chief, wife slain in Maguindanao Norte ambush (By Edwin Fernandez)

AMBUSHED. Onlookers mill around the ill-fated pick-up vehicle of Polloc village chairperson Abobakar Abdul after he and his wife were ambushed by still unidentified gunmen in Parang, Maguindanao del Norte, Monday (Jan. 30, 2023). A PHP100,000 reward has been offered by Parang Mayor Kahar Ibay for anyone who could identify the perpetrators of the incident. (Photo courtesy of Parang MPS)

PARANG, Maguindanao Norte – Unidentified gunmen ambushed and killed a village chairperson and his wife along a remote section of the national highway here, a police official reported Tuesday.

Maj. Christopher Cabugwang, Parang town police chief, identified the fatality as Abobakar Abdul, 40, village chair of Barangay Polloc, and his wife Bainisa, 39.

Cabugwang said Abdul and his wife were heading home in their pickup truck when two men-riding tandem on motorbike overtook and opened fire on the driver’s side of the vehicle at 5:45 p.m. Monday.

“He supervised the registration of new voters in the village to ensure it is orderly and was going home when ambushed in Barangay Timbangan,” Cabugwang said in an interview.

Police rushed the couple to the hospital but both were declared dead on arrival.

“We are still determining the possible motive, but initially we are looking at the political angle of the ambush,” Cabuwang said without elaborating.

Police found empty shells of a .45-caliber pistol at the crime scene.

Parang Mayor Kahar Ibay has offered a PHP100,000 reward money for anyone who can provide information that will lead to the whereabouts of the attackers.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1193988