KIDAPAWAN CITY (MindaNews/25 December) — Two motorcycle-riding men gunned down the son of a former vice-mayor of Datu Paglas town in Maguindanao, at around 9 a.m. on December 24, in neighboring Tulunan, North Cotabato.
Insp. Marlon Sylvestre, chief of Datu Paglas Police, identified the victim as Rasul Datang, son of former Datu Paglas vice-mayor Datucan Datang.
Datang was shot twice in the head, killing him instantly, while his wife, Jean Campong-Datang, was hit in the stomach and is in critical condition. She was rushed for medical treatment in a hospital also in Tulunan.
The victims, on board a motorcycle, were on their way home to Datu Paglas when fired upon by two motorcycle-riding men in Barangay Bual, Tulunan.
The suspects, according to initial police reports, tailed the victims from Barangay Sibsib, Tulunan’s commercial district, and when started firing at them upon reaching Barangay Bual.
Sylvestre has tasked two of his men to secure the wife as she has clues as to the identity of one of the suspects.
“I was told she knew one of the suspects so she might be a primary witness to the crime,” he said.
Sylvestre has linked up with the police in Tulunan for the investigation.
“It could be personal grudge, clan feud… or could be work-related to both the victim and his wife. We just don’t know. We’re still investigating the case. No definite yet as of this time,” he said. (Malu Cadelina-Manar/MindaNews)