4 injured in Davao Sur tribal war

DIGOS CITY – Four members of a tribal community in a remote village of Kiblawan, Davao del Sur were rushed to a local hospital after they were attacked and shot early morning on Tuesday.

Senior Police Officer 1 Bimbo Malonzo Labajo, officer-on-case identified those who suffered bullet wounds in different parts of their bodies as  Jelyn Buan Saluntay, 17;  Nena Saluntay Tayoy, 44; Merry Dialoring Saluntay, 28; and Medlina Pendatun Saluntay, 28.

The police said prior to the shooting spree, the Saluntay family were preparing planting materials for their farm outside the house of Nena Saluntay in Sitio Campo,  Barangay Tacub in Kiblawan town about 7:30 a.m. when three armed men arrived and started shooting the victims and fled towards unknown directions.

Labajo identified the culprits as Mario Bungan, Tayat Bungan, and Darong Bungan.

It was not clear if the suspects belong to a single family or residents of the same place.

The police theorized that the recent attack is part of a tribal war known to the B’laan community as “Pangayao.”

Pangayao is a form of retaliation against a person or clan who committed offenses against another person or clan. If the said activities remain unresolved they become a cycle of attacks and bloodshed among the families involved in the said tribal war.

Three of those injured remained at Matas District Hospital in Kiblawan,  while Nena Saluntay was transferred to Davao del Sur Provincial Hospital in Digos City for treatment.

The police said they learned about the shooting incident about 1 p.m. on October 30 through a phone call from Barangay Kimlawis village councilor Gavino Mendoza wherein a team of police officers were dispatched to the area for proper action.

Labajo said they were still conducting further investigation and filing of charges against the suspects who are being pursued./lb