North Cotabato town mayor escapes ambush

KIDAPAWAN CITY, Philippines — A town mayor in North Cotabato narrowly survived an ambush by suspected New People’s Army in President Rojas, North Cotabato on Thursday afternoon, the Army here said.

Three police escorts of President Rojas Mayor Jaime Mahingpit were wounded when a landmine exploded as the mayor’s vehicle was passing by a dirt road, according to Army Colonel Nilo Vinluan, 57th Infantry Battalion Commander.

Vinluan said the land mine attack was probably due to Mahingpit’s refusal to provide the communist rebels with P1 million protection money.

Vinluan said Mahingpit and the Army personnel deployed in President Rojas received reports about the presence of armed men and occurrence of gunfire in Barangay (village) Datu Inda.

This prompted Mahingpit and his escorts to proceed to the village at about 3 p.m. when a landmine exploded followed by gun bursts from suspected NPA rebels.

“The mayor was immediately evacuated safely by our troops,” Vinluan said.

Vinluan said the NPA was asking the mayor P1 million before the local government could continue with the construction of a road in the barangay.