ARAKAN, COTABATO — A member of the Citizen Armed Force Geographical Unit (CAFGU) was brutally killed after he was shot and hacked multiple times while riding his motorcycle in Sitio Talaytay, Barangay Malibatuan, Arakan, Cotabato on Thursday afternoon, November 27.
The victim was identified as Gail (Gael) Pedroso Nim, 53, a resident of the area and an active CAFGU member detailed under the Military Intelligence Battalion of the Army’s 39th Infantry Battalion in Makilala, North Cotabato.
Initial police reports indicate that the attack happened between 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. while the victim was traversing a rough road on his motorcycle. Responding officers from the Arakan Municipal Police Station found Nim sprawled inside a banana plantation, bloodied and lifeless, with multiple hack wounds, stab injuries, and gunshot wounds.
Investigators recovered six fired cartridge cases from a .45 pistol and one unfired round at the crime scene, suggesting that the perpetrators shot the victim after hacking him repeatedly.
Nim was rushed by MDRRMO responders to the Super Health Center Arakan in Barangay Greenfield, but the attending physician declared him dead on arrival.
Authorities have yet to establish the motive behind the attack. Police say the assailants may have waylaid the victim as he was driving home, based on the position of the body and the motorcycle.
The Arakan PNP, in coordination with the 72nd Infantry Battalion, has launched a full-scale investigation and has already reached out to nearby municipalities for dragnet operations to track down possible suspects.
As of this writing, investigators are pursuing several angles, including possible work-related threats, personal conflict, or involvement of armed groups operating in the area.
The killing of Nim adds to the growing list of violent incidents targeting civilian force auxiliaries tasked to assist the military in securing remote barangays in North Cotabato.
Authorities are appealing to residents who may have witnessed the attack to come forward and help speed up the identification of the perpetrators.