Lawyer shot dead inside passenger van in Maguindanao

SHARIFF AGUAK, MAGUINDANAO – An unidentified gunman shot dead a lawyer and wounded the driver inside a passenger van traveling from Tacurong City to Cotabato City Wednesday.

Police identified the victim as Nasser M. Laban, 48, a lawyer, peace advocate and a resident of Cotabato City. He has been moving around conducting fora about the Bangsamoro Organic Law.

Senior Supt. Madzgani Mukaram, Maguindanao police director, said the victim was on board a passenger van with about 10 passengers on the way to Cotabato City.

Mukaram said while the van was traversing the isolated stretch of the national highway in Barangay Meta, one of the passengers asked the driver to pull over so he could disembark.

But before the man alighted from the van, he shot Laban on his head using a cal. 45 pistol. He then left on board a motorbike driven by an accomplice.

Kaliman Sangkad, 35, the van driver, was hit by stray bullets and is now in critical condition.

Mukaram said the family was surprised by the incident since Laban has no known enemies and a leading peace advocate.