Acting town police chief killed in Lanao del Sur ambush

LANAO DEL SUR, Philippines — Gunmen killed an acting municipal police chief and his civilian companion in an ambush at dusk Monday in Barangay Bandaraingud in Pagayawan town in Lanao del Sur.

Police M/Sgt. Amen Lucman Macalangan and Ramel Pangcatan died on the spot from multiple gunshot wounds.

Macalangan was officer-in-charge of the Binidayan municipal police.

They were attacked while en route to the town proper of Binidayan from the Lanao del Sur provincial police office in Marawi City.

Their companions, Asliah Adiong, a civilian employee of the Binidayan municipal police office, and Patrolman Nasser Dumaraya, were unhurt.

Police Col. Madzgani Mukaram, director of the Lanao del Sur police, said Macalangan was able to disembark from their vehicle and return fire but was eventually shot down by his attackers who were armed with assault rifles.

Macalangan is known in Binidayan for being active in the peace process.

Mukaram said the ambushers, positioned at one side of the road in Sitio Banisilan in Barangay Bandaraingud, managed to escape before responding police personnel reached the scene.

Gov. Mamintal Adiong, Jr. condemned the incident and urged local officials in the neighboring Pagayawan and Binidayan towns to help investigators identify the culprits.