Principal killed in Koronadal ambush; husband critical

KORONADAL CITY – Unidentified gunmen on Tuesday night ambushed and killed a school principal in Sultan Kudarat and wounded her husband, police said.

Supt. Barney Condes, Koronadal City police director, identified the victim as Jelyn Sumapal, principal of Sumapal Elementary School in Barangay Palavilla, Lutayan, Sultan Kudarat.

Her husband, Antonio Sumapal, was critically wounded.

Police said the ambush site was in the borders of this city and Lutayan town in Sultan Kudarat.

Condes said the couple were heading for Koronadal City at 6:30 p.m. when two men on a motorbike overtook their owner-type jeep, driven by Antonio, a former village official.

The gunmen then peppered the victims with bullets from cal.-45 pistols and fled.  Despite his injury, Sumapal managed to drive the vehicle up to a nearby community police detachment in Barangay Namnama. Police rushed them to the hospital.

But the school principal was declared dead on arrival at a private hospital here while her husband remained in critical condition.

Condes said the suspects fled toward Barangay Avanceña here.

“We are looking at different angles and motives, personal grudge was one of them,” Condes said, adding that investigation continues.