Village Chief Survives Ambush in Cotabato City, 5 Companions Injured
COTABATO CITY – In a recent incident, a village official narrowly escaped an ambush on a busy street in Cotabato City. The attack targeted the Toyota Grandia van of Edris Ayunan Pasawiran, the village chief of Barangay Kalanganan 2.
According to Colonel Querubin Manalang Jr., the director of Cotabato City police, the ambush occurred while Pasawiran and his companions were traveling along Mabini Street in Barangay Bagua 3 around 8 p.m. The gunmen remain unidentified, but initial reports state that five individuals were injured, with two of them in critical condition.
Although Pasawiran emerged unharmed, the motive behind the attack is still under investigation by police. At the crime scene, around 100 empty shells of an unknown weapon were recovered, along with Pasawiran’s bullet-riddled van.
Shortly after the ambush, a mini-van was found in Barangay Rosary Heights 3 containing a caliber .45 pistol, two bottles of gasoline, and a bloodstain on the driver’s seat. The police are examining if this vehicle is linked to the ambush on the village official.
Cotabato City Mayor Bruce Matabalao condemned the attack and urged law enforcement to delve deeper into the case. Additionally, Lawyer Naguib Sinarimbo, president of the political party Serbisyong Inklusibo, Alyansang Progresibo (SIAP) in the Bangsamoro region, expressed outrage over the violence and assured cooperation with the authorities.
This incident comes after Pasawiran’s son was killed in a shooting during the village and youth polls campaign last year.
