Two tribal chieftains, 3 others hurt in North Cotabato attacks

KIDAPAWAN, Philippines – Five people, two of them tribal chieftains, were wounded in two separate ambush incidents in North Cotabato province allegedly perpetrated by the communist rebels, on Thursday. In Arakan town, a hinterland town in North Cotabato, a tribal chieftain and a motorbike driver were wounded when waylaid by still unidentified assailants along the highway in Barangay Meocan, past 1 p.m. on that day. Wounded were Datu Arcadio Payam Aman, chieftain of the Manobo tribe in North Cotabato, and Jun Aranas, driver of blue XRM motorcycle with plate number CM 8613. Both were residents of Sitio Kamanagan, Barangay Ganatan in Arakan town. Reports from Arakan PNP said the victims were on their way to the town’s Poblacion when a still undetermined number of armed men fired their shots towards them. Both were hit but Aranas managed to escape by accelerating the speed of his motorbike. When they reached the Poblacion, villagers rushed them to the nearest hospital in Arakan. They were later transferred to the Davao Medical Center in Davao City. Police are still clueless on the motive and identities of those behind the attack. The ambush in Arakan was the second incident in North Cotabato that took place on the same day during the week. In Magpet town, three persons, one of them a soldier and another a tribal chieftain, were wounded when a land mine exploded while they were on their way home after they conducted a dental and medical mission in a remote village. Lt. Col. Milfredo Meligrito, commander of the 57th Infantry Battalion, identified the wounded soldier only as Pfc. Ampatuan. Also wounded during the attack were Datu Antonio Tamonan, a Bagobo tribal chieftain, and Eric Macalunas, a member of the tribe. Ampatuan was on board a military truck while Datu Tamonan and Macalunas were on a motorbike. When they reached the boundary of the villages of Bagumbayan and Basak in Magpet, a land mine exploded, hitting the convoy, according to Meligrito. Army officials in North Cotabato blamed the communist New Peoples’ Army (NPA) for a series of attacks against government forces and civilians. - Malu Cadeliňa Manar, GMANews.TV