T’boli, South Cotabato — Three employees of the local government unit (LGU) were wounded while a village councilor narrowly escaped harm after their vehicle was riddled with bullets at a checkpoint in Sitio Spring, Barangay Poblacion, T’boli late Thursday night, April 9, 2026.
The injured were identified as Delfin Tan Forod, 36, the driver; Rafael Zunio Francisco, 49; and Arlene Sawan Lambong, 41—all employees of the LGU of T’boli. Barangay Kagawad Alvin Tuan Sacay, 36, who was also inside the vehicle, emerged unscathed.
According to initial police reports, the incident occurred at around 11:15 p.m. as the group was traveling aboard a utility truck vehicle (UTV) from Barangay New Dumangas toward Barangay Poblacion. Upon reaching the SPRING Patrol Base checkpoint, manned by personnel of the 1st Platoon, 6th South Cotabato CAFGU Active Auxiliary (CAA) Company, the vehicle allegedly failed to stop.
Authorities said this prompted the personnel on duty to open fire on the vehicle using their issued firearms.
Forod sustained a gunshot wound to the right side of his head, although authorities described the injury as minor. Lambong and Francisco were also hit and were immediately rushed to a nearby hospital for medical treatment. Sacay, meanwhile, was unharmed in the incident.
The vehicle sustained multiple bullet impacts, reflecting the intensity of the shooting and raising serious concerns over the use of force at checkpoints.
Investigators are now working to identify the personnel involved and determine whether standard operating procedures were followed in the use of firearms. The motive and full circumstances surrounding the incident remain under investigation.
In a separate but related development, initial reports also indicated that individuals allegedly linked to a politician had earlier transported a wounded rebel prior to the incident, a detail now being looked into by authorities as part of the broader probe.
The incident has sparked alarm among residents and renewed calls for stricter accountability and clearer protocols in checkpoint operations, particularly in conflict-sensitive areas.