Family of 5 massacred in Sultan Kudarat

COTABATO CITY, Philippines – A family of five was massacred by gunmen in a remote village in Sultan Kudarat province Saturday dawn, the military said on Sunday.

Lieutenant Colonel Leopoldo Galon, speaking for the military’s Eastern Mindanao Command, identified the fatalities as Jolie Fegurac, his wife Josephine, and children Jonathan, Jerson and Benei Pelitro – residents of Sitio Limangga, Barangay Midtungok, Senator Ninoy Aquino town in Sultan Kudarat.

Galon, quoting a report from 46th Infantry Battalion, said the victims were asleep when gunmen, led by a local bandit named Kinting Watamama, arrived at 3 a.m. and fired at the victims’ house.

Galon said the suspects were armed with M-16 armalite and garand rifles based on the slugs and empty shells recovered from the crime scene.

Galon said motive of the attack could be a long standing land dispute.

Police and military investigators are still determining the real motive of the attack but the probe has been focused on land problem.