Son of former Maguindanao governor, 4 others killed at Cotabato checkpoint

COTABATO CITY - A son of the late Maguindanao Governor Norodin Matalam and four others were killed at a checkpoint late Friday evening in Barangay Inug-ug, Pikit, North Cotabato.

Westmincom Commander Lieutenant General Cirilito Sobejana confirmed it was an encounter against military personnel manning the checkpoint and suspected gunmen inside a gray Nissan Patrol car.

Datu Hashim Matalam was confirmed by relatives as among the fatalities, but the military identified him as Hassem Matalam.

Hashim's father, Norodin Matalam, served as Maguindanao governor and then mayor of the town of Pagalungan in Maguindanao.

The military also identified one other victim as Buton Bacocol from Matina Pangi, Davao City. 

Westmincom said their bodies were already claimed by the Matalam family.

Based on reports from the Philippine Army's 602nd Brigade covering Maguindanao and North Cotabato, Brigadier General Alfredo Rosario said the men did not stop at the checkpoint and instead opened fire at the soldiers.

“The troops manning the checkpoint tried to stop them for inspection but they opened fire first, which led to our men to fire back,” Rosario said in a phone interview.

Rosario added that his men especially the troops under the Philippine Army's 7th Infantry Battalion are on red alert status because of the clashes that occurred on Friday as heavily armed men from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in the nearby area participate in clan war or rido.

Soldiers also found high-powered firearms and a grenade inside the vehicle.

These include an M16, two M653, and an M1911, a hand grenade, a rifle grenade, three sachets of suspected shabu, and shabu paraphernalia. — BAP/KG, GMA News