CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY鈥擳he Presidential Security Group (PSG) maintained on Thursday that its men were indeed ambushed earlier this week in southern Marawi city, refuting a claim by a Moro youth group that they made up the story to cover up a potentially embarrassing 鈥渁ccidental鈥� firing of a weapon.
Drieza Lininding, vice chair of the Bangsamoro National聽 Movement for Peace and Development, said earlier that he had gathered interviews and evidence to show that the incident was apparently caused by a soldier in the security convoy accidentally setting off his weapon.
Six were hurt in the incident, including an advance party of the PSG who were to secure the area ahead of President Duterte鈥檚 visit.
Lininding said they asked the residents living near the site of the supposed attack who told them there was no ambush that聽 took place in Barangay Matampay in Marawi.
The wounded soldiers insisted they were waylaid, but could not immediately say who was behind the attack.
Government troops were however fighting the Maute group in Butig, Lanao del Sur at the time, although it was not clear whether the incidents were connected.
鈥淚t was so sudden. Something exploded behind us, we don鈥檛 know what it聽 was,鈥� said Cpl. Vincent Paniza, one of the PSG men who was wounded.
He said he heard gunshots, but stressed he was not able to fire back as he was already wounded at the time.
Private First Class James Gonzales said their convoy came from Iligan City聽 en route to Marawi.聽 He was in the lead vehicle, and when it negotiated a steep part of the road, they heard something went off.
鈥淭here was an explosion on the side of the road, and after that, they聽 (armed men) fired at us. We returned fire,鈥澛� he said.
Gonzales said the soldier beside him was also wounded but claimed he didn鈥檛 see who shot them. He also confirmed that it was an improvised bomb that exploded.
President Duterte visited the wounded soldiers and the PSG team here on Wednesday and gave them medals for taking fire while on duty.