BULLET-RIDDLED. Residents mill around the vehicle driven by Baimhon Ambalgan, a school principal in Paglat town, Maguindanao. Ambalgan survived an ambush perpetrated by two gunmen onboard a motorbike in Pandag town of the same province on Monday (May 30, 2022). (Photo courtesy of Pandag MPS)
COTABATO CITY – Authorities said they are on a manhunt against suspects in separate ambuscades that wounded two in the Maguindanao towns of Datu Salibo and Pandag Monday.
Col. Christopher Panapan, Maguindanao police director, identified the victims as Jean Hangkal, the municipal election officer of Datu Salibo, and Baimhon Ambalgan, a school principal in nearby Paglat town.
Panapan said Hangkal survived an ambush at around 1 p.m. Monday but her aide, Sadam Panglao, was slightly injured.
“Police probers are yet to determine if it was poll-related or not as the investigation is still ongoing,” Panapan said.
Hangkal told police she was driving her vehicle en route to nearby Datu Piang town when she noticed a minivan partly blocking her path.
Hangkal maneuvered but the man inside the van opened fire. She said she sped away to bring her wounded aide to a hospital in Datu Piang.
After getting first aid from a local hospital, she proceeded to neighboring Midsayap town in North Cotabato and sought help from an Army detachment.
The election officer said she has been receiving threats and suspected the ambush was election-related. She did not elaborate.
Some two hours after, Ambalgan, a native of Tacurong City, was injured in an ambush in Pandag, Maguindanao.
“Ambalgan’s daughter who is also a teacher and was with her, escaped unhurt,” Lt. Elmar Elarcosa, Pandag police chief, said in a report Tuesday.
Elarcosa said Ambalgan was driving her Honda Fit vehicle with her daughter when they were ambushed by still unidentified gunmen onboard a motorbike in Barangay Malangit.
Elarcosa said the attackers sped off in an unknown direction after the shooting.
The separate ambushes occurred while the election gun ban remains in effect. (PNA)
