INQUIRER FILES
COTABATO CITY 鈥� A retired government worker of the National Grains Authority (now the National Food Authority) was killed in an ambush around 8 a.m. Sunday in Midsayap town, Cotabato province.
Sindatu Sangid Dilangalen, 76, a resident of Barangay Bual Norte in聽Midsayap town, a relative of聽the late Maguindanao House Rep. Didagen Dilangalen, just brought his wife to the Midsayap town proper on board a pickup vehicle.
He was heading home聽driving the same pickup聽when ambushed by two gunmen on a motorbike along the road in the town鈥檚 Zone 7, Barangay Poblacion 7,聽said聽Lieutenant Colonel Arniel Melocotones, Midsayap municipal police station chief.
Police responders rushed the victim to a hospital, but he died.
Crime scene investigators found empty shells for caliber .45 pistol at the ambush site.
Dilangalen聽reportedly聽lost control of his vehicle and fell off a rice field after being shot repeatedly by the suspects, who fled the crime scene.
Ernesto Gelay Jr.,聽chair of聽Barangay Poblacion 7, said villagers heard several gunshots and saw聽the聽vehicle veering towards the rice paddies from the concrete barangay road.
Police are still investigating the motive of the attack, which came amid the implementation of the election gun ban in the country.