1 dead, 1 wounded in Cotabato City ambush

COTABATO CITY – Unidentified gunmen killed on Monday morning a member of the 5th Special Forces Battalion and wounded another in an ambush here, police said.

Corporal Nelson Pamailan died on the spot from a gunshot wound in the head while his companion, Private First Class Richard Bendanillo, was wounded.

Bendanillo was rushed to a hospital in the city for treatment.

Pamailan and Bendanillo belonged to the 12th Special Forces Company, a unit of the 5th Special Forces Battalion (5th SFBn), which is helping the city police secure the city’s 37 barangays.

Senior Supt. Rolly Octavio, Cotabato City police director, said the two soldiers were aboard a motorcycle and on were their way to their detachment in Barangay Kalanganan when attacked by the gunmen.

Octavio said investigators were still verifying the identities and motive of the perpetrators.

He added that the police are looking into the possible involvement of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) in the incident.

“This is included in our investigation. That is a possibility but we are digging deeper,” Octavio told reporters./ ee