Reward offered for gunmen in ex barangay exec ambush

NORTH COTABATO, Philippines  – Gov. Emmylou Taliño-Mendoza on Wednesday offered P200,000 in exchange for any information that would lead to the arrest of the gunmen that tried to kill a former barangay chairman while in Kidapawan City on Monday.

Bernabe Abanilla, former chairman of Barangay Doruluman in Arakan town, was driving his pick-up truck at a busy thoroughfare in Kidapawan City when motorcycle-riding gunmen trailing behind him opened fire with pistols.

Arakan is a hinterland town in the northwest of North Cotabato.

Mendoza, presiding chairperson of the North Cotabato provincial peace and order council, said she had asked the intelligence unit of the provincial police office to help investigate on the incident.

“I’m ready to pay a P200,000 reward in exchange for any information that would lead to the arrest of the suspects,” Mendoza told reporters.

Abanilla, a member of the Citizens Armed Forces Geographical Unit, was wounded in the attack and is now undergoing medication at a hospital.

Investigators said the motorcycle-riding gunmen sped away after they shot and wounded Abanilla.

The Kidapawan City police have yet to get a lead on the  identities of the suspects, and the motive for the attack.