LIGAWASAN, Special Geographic Area — Two barangay officials were killed in a brutal midday ambush after unidentified armed men riddled their vehicle with bullets along a remote road in Sitio Bungalos, Barangay Kabasalan, Ligawasan SGA-BARMM on Tuesday, May 19, authorities confirmed.
Police identified the fatalities as Tamano Guiambalan, the incumbent Barangay Secretary of Barangay Kabasalan, and Norodin Salinogen, a member of the Barangay Peacekeeping Action Team (BPAT). Both were declared dead on the spot after sustaining multiple gunshot wounds in different parts of their bodies.
The deadly attack occurred at around 12:45 p.m. in a grassy portion of Sitio Bungalos, where the victims were reportedly traveling onboard a multicab when they were suddenly intercepted and ambushed by still unidentified gunmen.
According to initial investigation reports, the assailants opened fire without warning, unleashing a barrage of bullets that left the two victims with no chance of survival. Residents in the area recalled hearing successive gunshots that shattered the quiet community before the armed suspects swiftly fled toward an unknown direction.
Authorities said the Barangay Captain of Kabasalan was also part of the convoy but was riding in a separate vehicle during the attack. The village chief miraculously escaped unharmed despite the hail of gunfire.
Investigators are now looking into several possible angles behind the killings, including political rivalry, “rido” or clan feud, and whether the ambush was connected to the victims’ roles and responsibilities in the barangay.
Police admitted they remain “blank” on the exact motive behind the brazen daylight execution, while follow-up operations and hot pursuit efforts against the perpetrators continue.
Scene investigators found the victims sprawled bloodied along the roadside after the attack. Due to the severity of their injuries, they were no longer rushed to a hospital.
The ambush has sent fear and tension across the community, especially as the attack targeted active barangay officials in broad daylight inside the Special Geographic Area of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
As of this writing, authorities have yet to identify the gunmen or determine whether the attack was premeditated and specifically targeted at local officials.
The Philippine National Police and other security forces are continuing their intensive investigation to establish the identities of the masterminds and gunmen behind the twin killings.