Banana plantation security officer hurt in Maguindanao ambush

MAGUINDANAO - A chief security officer of a banana plantation was wounded when gunmen on Thursday fired at a convoy carrying company executives en route to a packing plant in Datu Abdullah Sangki town in the southeastern part of the province.

Local officials initially identified the victim only as a certain Mr. Fernandez, chief security officer of the Delinanas Development Company, which has vast banana farms in interior barangays in Datu Abdullah Sangki.

Col. Dickson Hermoso, spokesman of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division, confirmed the incident, but declined to provide more details pending the outcome of a joint probe by the local police and military intelligence units in the province.

“What I can confirm, for now, is that a certain Mr. Fernandez was wounded in the incident,” Hermoso said.

He said soldiers and policemen, backed by barangay officials, are now in pursuit of the attackers, who were last seen fleeing toward a marshland in Datu Abdullah Sangki.

The wounded security officer was escorting visiting company executives on their way to a packing plant in the center of the banana plantation when their attackers, positioned at one side of the road, suddenly emerged and opened fire with assault rifles.

The gunmen hurriedly escaped after sensing that responding barangay folks and community watchmen were closing in.