COTABATO CITY – A police manhunt is underway against two gunmen, who shot dead two persons and injured two others, including a public school teacher, in an ambush on Friday night in Matalam, North Cotabato.
Chief Inspector Sunny Leoncito, Matalam town police chief, said the victims were on a motorbike when waylaid by the two gunmen in Purok Tagumpay 1, Barangay Marbel, Matalam.
Leoncito identified the slain victims as Isidro Cantil, 56, the “habal-habal” (motorcycle-for-hire) driver, and one of his passengers, Ruben Ramuhal, 52, and a farmer. Both victims were residents of Barangay Kabulacan, Matalam.
Injured were passengers Prudencio Cantil, 45 of Barangay Kabulacan and Ruel Santillano, 39, a public school teacher and a resident of Barangay Kibia, also in Matalam.
Leoncito said the victims were heading home past 6 p.m. on the “habal-habal” when the attackers, onboard a separate motorbike, fired at them from behind.
Both Cantil and Ramuha suffered multiple bullet wounds and were declared dead on arrival at a local hospital. Leoncito said police investigators are following a lead but declined to reveal further details so as not to jeopardize the operation. (PNA)
