Town treasurer, 3 others killed in IED ambush

DATU SALIBO, Maguindanao (PNA) – The town treasurer of this town, his son and two others were killed when a roadside improvised explosive device (IED) was detonated by still unidentified attackers in a Maguindanao highway Tuesday night, the military here said.

Killed on the spot were Carlos Macabangen, municipal treasurer of Datu Salibo; his son Kenneth “Ken- Ken” Macabangen, Alex Alpas and Bensar Agapay.

Lt. Colonel Warlito Limet, Second Mechanized Infantry Battalion commander, said the victims were on board a Mitsubishi Delica van, heading toward Datu Salibo town proper, when the IED fashioned from an 81-mm mortar and mobile phone as triggering device, went off at 10:30 p.m..

Limet said Macabangen and five other van passengers had decided to return to Datu Saudi Ampatuan because of intense fighting between government forces and Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) in Barangay Tee and Barangay Sambolawan, all in Datu Salibo.

“They were heading back to Datu Saudi Ampatuan when the explosion occurred and hit their van,” Limet said, adding two others were rushed by soldiers to the Cotabato Regional Medical Center.

The bombing could have been a spillover of the skirmishes between the BIFF and government forces in Datu Salibo.

“The IED could be meant for military vehicles,” he said. “Unfortunately, civilians were killed.”

At 4 a.m. Tuesday, about 50 BIFF fighters harassed the Army detachments in Barangay Tee and Barangay Sambolawan, both in Datu Salibo.

Two MG- 520 attack helicopters pounded the BIFF for about an hour as the fighting intensified, Capt. Joann Petinglay, Sixth Infantry Division spokesperson.

Petinglay said the BIFF reinforcements have started to come to Datu Salibo from nearby towns.

She could not say how many BIFF were killed or injured in the air strikes and ground attacks.

Petinglay admitted government forces have lost a soldier in action and six others were injured, including an Army company commander.

On February 5, the BIFF attacked a government dredging project in Barangay Butalo, Datu Salibo, Maguindanao. Since then, sporadic skirmishes had been on-going.

“We cannot understand why the BIFF was against a development project that will protect the people of Datu Salibo, including the BIFF, from floods when rainy season comes,” Petinglay said.

BIFF spokesperson Abu Misri Mama said five soldiers were killed Tuesday and three armoured personnel carriers (APCs) were destroyed and disabled, a claim denied by Petinglay.

“Three APCs were hit but not destroyed, our troops are still using these military vehicles,” Petinglay said. “We have no casualty on Tuesday,” she added.