4 persons killed, 2 hurt in North Cotabato ambush

KABACAN, North Cotabato—Four persons were killed while two others were critically injured in two separate ambush incidents perpetrated by still unidentified gunmen in remote villages here early Friday morning, the police said.

Senior Insp. Randy Apostol, Kabacan town police chief, identified the fatalities in the first ambush as Franz Villanueva, 28, Jerry Uyanguren, 52, and his 48-year-old brother, Roland. They all died instantly from bullet wounds in the head.

Apostol said the victims were on motorcycles heading for home to Barangay Aringay from a cockpit in an adjacent village when masked men, armed with M-16 assault rifles, attacked them as they slowed down on a bridge at past 1:30 a.m.

Calixto Villasor, 41, and Richie Daniles, 32, who were on board separate motorbikes, were also badly injured.

The suspects, Apostol said, quickly left the crime scene thinking they killed all the victims.  Residents near the ambush site rushed the wounded victims to the hospital.

Kabacan Mayor Herlo Guzman said the motive of the incident remained unknown.

About an hour later, another man, 32-year-old Jess Francisco, was shot in Barangay Kayaga.

Francisco was driving his motorbike for Carmen town when fired at by gunmen using cal. 45 pistols.