-
GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews/08 October) – A former field commander of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in Sultan Kudarat province and his wife were killed in an ambush Thursday in a remote village in President Quirino town.
Senior Insp. Celestino Daniel Jr., President Quirino municipal police station chief, said victims Abdullah Calapia and his wife Raida were traveling aboard a motorcycle when they were waylaid by unidentified armed men in Barangay Sinakulay in President Quirino at around 9:45am.
He said the couple, who were residents of the same village, died instantly due to multiple gunshot wound in the head and body.
“It appears to be a well-planned attack and the suspects were clearly familiar with the couple’s movements,” Daniel told radio station Bombo Radyo in Koronadal City.
The police official said they recovered three empty shells of an M-16 Armalite rifle at the ambush scene, which was located at the outskirts of Sinakulay.
He said the attack happened considerably far from the village’s center and not a single house was located near the area.
“We cannot pinpoint any suspect yet as we’re still in the process of gathering evidences and possible witnesses,” he said.
Daniel said they are already looking at several angles as possible motive of the killing but did not provide further details.
“We’re considering several angles but I think the incident was not related to the upcoming (Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan) elections,” he said. (Allen V. Estabillo/MindaNews)
