COTABATO CITY -- Police authorities in Datu Montawal, Maguindanao province, have formed a Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) to speed up the investigation of Monday’s assassination attempt against a village chief and three of his companions.
Capt. Rasul Pandulo, police chief of Datu Montawal town, said Wednesday he will lead the SITG-Buday that will look into the murder attempt on Safrullah Buday, chairperson of Barangay Dungguan, Datu Montawal, and three others.
Buday and his companions - Norodin Omar, Ali Maitug, and Salipada Malalag - were injured when gunmen on a motorbike opened fire on them along the national highway in the adjoining village of Layog, Pagalungan, Maguindanao around 4 p.m.
Buday and his companions were on a Toyota Revo and were heading to Dungguan via Layog village after attending a meeting of the Municipal Anti-Drug Abuse Council at the town hall of Datu Montawal when they were ambushed.
They sustained bullets wounds and are now confined in a private hospital in North Cotabato. Police found a dozen empty shells for M14 rifle at the ambush site.
Pandulo said “rido” or family feud could have triggered the ambush but SITG-Buday is also looking at other possible motives.
Earlier, Datu Montawal Mayor Ohto Montawal said Buday had a feud with his election rival in Barangay Dungguan.
“However, that feud had been patched up,” the mayor said.
No one has claimed responsibility for the ambush. (PNA)
Task group formed in Maguindanao village exec ambush
By Noel Punzalan and Edwin Fernandez
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