Unarmed soldier killed by suspected BIFF member

COTABATO CITY – Suspected members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) shot and killed an unarmed soldier working for the Army engineering battalion in Mamasapano town in Maguindanao on Tuesday afternoon.

Senior Supt. Agustin Tello, Maguindanao town police chief, said Cpl. Tamano Macadatar was part of the Army construction unit building a learning facility in Barangay Tukanalipao in Mamasapano when shot by a still unidentified gunman at 3 p.m.

Tello said the suspect armed with M1-Garand rifle approached Macadatar and shot him repeatedly.

But Tello said 10 other gunmen were seen positioned few meters from the bunkhouse where the soldier-carpenters stay.

Macadatar’s companions were out when the shooting occurred. He belonged to 524th Engineering Battalion under the Army’s 52nd Engineering Brigade based in Camp Siongco, Maguindanao.

Macadatar and other Army engineers were the same soldiers helping the Teach Peace, Build Peace Foundation construct a learning center for residents of Barangay Tukanalipao.

The village is the site of the bloody encounter between elite police force and lawless elements while government forces were out to neutralize the country’s most wanted terrorist, Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan, in 2015.

The carnage left 44 Special Action Force (SAF) dead and almost shut down the government peace process in Mindanao.

Mamasapano is one of the four towns in Maguindanao where the BIFF operates. JE