AMBUSHED. Police examine the pickup truck of Cotabato City of Pedro Tato Jr. after he was ambushed on his way to the city hall along Sebastian Street at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday (Aug. 15, 2023). Fortunately, Tato sustained minor injuries only. (Contributed photo)
COTABATO CITY – The chief of the city’s General Services Office (GSO) escaped death Tuesday morning following an ambush carried out by still unidentified gunmen onboard two motorbikes along Sebastian Street here.
Almedras Renabor, city public safety officer, said GSO head Pedro Tato Jr. was onboard his pickup truck together with driver Dandy Anonat when fired upon by the perpetrators who were earlier seen tailing their vehicle.
“Two motorbikes with about three men were seen tailing Tato’s service vehicle from San Pablo Village and opened fire near the gate of Cotabato Regional and Medical Center,” Renabor said of the 8:30 a.m. incident.
Tato emerged with minor injuries but Anonat was critically wounded and is now confined in said hospital.
Police recovered empty shells for a .45-caliber pistol at the crime scene.
The motive of the attack remained unknown as of posting.
Grenade throwing incident
Also on Tuesday morning, a still unidentified man on a motorbike tossed a hand grenade in front of the house of the former Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairperson here.
Sukarno Utto, the administrator of Barangay Rosary Heights 3, said a man on board a black motorbike lobbed the grenade in front of the house of former Comelec chairperson Sheriff Abas at about 7:30 a.m.
“Nobody was hurt in the blast,” Utto said in a radio interview, adding that the surroundings inside the well-fenced home had shrapnel marks.
The retired Comelec official was not around when the grenade attack happened.
Bounty offered
Mayor Mohammad Matabalao, meanwhile, condemned the ambush of Tato and the grenade attack in the house of the retired election officer and offered a reward money to the public.
“Such a remorseless act of violence is abominable and must not be perpetrated,” Matabalao said, offering a PHP300,000 bounty for anyone who could provide information leading to the identification and arrest of those behind the separate attacks. (PNA)
