Village chair, escort killed in ambush

PIKIT, North Cotabato – A village chair actively involved in the anti-drug campaign here and his escort were killed in an ambush by unidentified gunmen on Thursday.

Senior Insp. Sindatu Karim, town police chief, said Dats Simon, chair of Barangay Bulol, and his escort, Akmad Bantas, were riding in tandem on a motorbike on their way home from an undisclosed area when fired at in the vicinity of Barangay Gli-gli around 3 p.m.

Simon and Bantas died instantly, Karim said.

The suspects took Simon’s cal. 45 pistol before fleeing, he said.

Karim said a few months back, Simon had sought police assistance due to threats.

He said the threats were apparently the offshoot of a grudge.

Karim said this was among the angles the police were looking into in trying to solve the incident.