ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines—At least four gunmen shot three people dead, leaving their bodies to burn inside a bus that they attacked and set afire in another case of terror that authorities initially linked to a still unidentified extortion group.
Those slain were an Army officer, his wife and an undercover agent deployed to the bus as marshal.
The gunmen, investigators said, commandeered the bus in a Zamboanga Sibugay town, declared a holdup and started shooting.
The bus was traversing the highway in Tungawan, Zamboanga Sibugay, when the gunmen struck, the military said on Wednesday.
An undercover bus marshal was wounded and a female passenger was missing after the attack.
Gun rampage
Col. Santiago Baluyot, commander of the Army’s 102nd Infantry Brigade, said a Rural Transit bus with body number 9342 bound for this city from Pagadian City was flagged down by the gunmen in Upper Tungawan village past 8 p.m. on Tuesday.
The gunmen, he said, declared they were robbing the bus then started shooting, killing Army Maj. Julistidi Arasid and his wife, whose name was not made available, and a militiaman who was also on board as a marshal.
Lt. Col. Randolph Cabangbang, spokesperson of the Western Mindanao Command, identified the slain marshal as Lito dela Cruz.
Cabangbang, quoting reports from investigators, said the gunmen killed Dela Cruz first then turned to Major Arasid and his wife who were seated in the rear.
Attending graduation
Senior Supt. Ruben Cariaga, Zamboanga Sibugay police chief, said Arasid was not in uniform during the attack. He was on leave to attend the graduation of his son.
Baluyot, also quoting investigators, said Major Arasid was pushing his son out of harm’s way as he shielded his wife from the gunfire. The major’s son was able to escape as gunfire filled the bus.
Cariaga said the gunmen declared a holdup first before they started firing their weapons without any particular target at first.
According to Cabangbang, another militiaman—Federico Luchavez—who was aboard the bus, was able to fire his gun, but was shot by the gunmen and critically injured.
Missing woman
He said a female passenger, Sitti Aliya Jundam of Upper Calarian here, was missing after the attack.
Baluyot said after the shooting, the gunmen ordered all passengers to alight and set the bus on fire without removing the bodies of the slain. They fled with the assault rifles of two of the bus marshals.
Major Arasid’s son later identified two of the burned bodies as those of his parents.
He said authorities were looking at extortion on the bus company as motive for the attack.
In March, two persons were injured when armed men ambushed another Rural Transit bus and a cargo truck here.
In September last year, six armed men also flagged down a Rural Transit bus in Davao City and shot dead a policeman.