Woman, six children massacred in Zamboanga del Norte

A 40-year-old woman and her six children were brutally murdered on Thursday by a group of bolo-wielding bandits in Zamboanga del Norte, the military said yesterday.

Reports reaching Camp Aguinaldo said villagers found Evangeline Balios and her children, aged one to 13, hacked to death in Sitio Mangga, Barangay Poblacion, Kalawit town.

The military identified Barrios’ children as Daniel, 13; Ariel 11; Danny, 8; Julita, 5; Baby, 3; and Mark, 1.

Initial investigation showed that the bandits, reportedly held by a former Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) commander, Salludin Sumingal, swooped down on the victims’ house at around 7 p.m. on Thursday. Armed with bolos and handguns, the suspects killed the defenseless victims for yet an unknown motive.

Responding elements of the Army’s Charlie company, 10th Infantry Batallion caught up with the suspects at Sitio Magoboc, Barangay Daniel Maing, also in Kalawit at about 6 a.m. yesterday triggering a brief gunbattle.

One of the five suspects identified as Dandong Yusop was killed in the firefight while a certain Paam Laidan was captured.

A bolo with bloodstains and two homemade revolvers were recovered from Laidan’s possession.

Lt. Col Daniel Lucero, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) public information chief, said that military authorities in Zamboanga are now closely coordinating with local police for the filing of multiple murder and illegal possession of firearms charges against Ladan and his group. — with AFP