Gunmen finish off critically wounded man inside ambulance

KORONADAL CITY – A man who was critically wounded after unidentified gunmen shot him in Polomoloc town in South Cotabato, was finished off inside the ambulance that was rushing him to a bigger hospital.

Police could not tell whether the gunmen who attacked the man in Polomoloc were the same ones who killed him in the ambulance Tuesday night.

Supt. Benjiel Kirby Bajo, Koronadal City police director, said Arlan Macabangin Mangudalat, 45, a farmer of Barangay Lapu, was critically wounded after he was shot.

He was moved from Polomolok District Hospital to the South Cotabato Provincial Hospital at 9 p.m. on Tuesday and was approaching Maranion Village when a white Toyota Hi-Ace van blocked the ambulance where he and his 65-year old mother were on board.

Two men with M-16 rifles alighted from the van, opened the door of the ambulance and asked the name of the patient. When the mother told them her son’s name, the gunmen opened fire on Mangudalat and fled.

Stray bullets hit ambulance driver Dexter Jacodan, 40.

Despite the bullet wound on his back, Jacodan managed to drive the ambulance to the hospital, which was only about 50 meters away.

Mangudalat was declared dead on arrival.

Police later learned that Mangudalat was shot in Polomolok only hours before the ambulance attack. He was rushed first to the town district hospital but because he was critically injured, he was moved to the bigger health facility only to be shot again on the road.

Police recovered eight empty shells for an M-16 rifle. A manhunt against the suspects continued.