COTABATO CITY(June 30) — What began as a routine journey home from a security mission ended in bloodshed Saturday afternoon after gunmen ambushed a military vehicle along a highway in Malabang, Lanao del Sur, killing an Army soldier and an innocent public school teacher caught in the crossfire.
Army Cpl. Jayson Castro, assigned to a military unit in Malabang, was killed instantly after heavily armed assailants opened fire on the white Toyota Hilux pickup truck carrying him and fellow security personnel through Barangay Lamin.
Officials of the Lanao del Sur Provincial Police Office and Police Regional Office–Bangsamoro Autonomous Region confirmed Monday that Castro and his companions, including members of the Citizens Armed Forces Geographical Unit (CAFGU), were returning to their command post after a security mission when the attack occurred.
The violence also claimed the life of Hapipa Saripada Macadato, a public school teacher who was riding as a passenger on a tricycle traveling behind the military vehicle.
Police said the attackers also sprayed the tricycle with gunfire using M14 and M16 assault rifles, fatally hitting Macadato, who had no connection to the military operation.
Castro’s fellow soldiers returned fire, forcing the attackers to flee before responding authorities arrived.
The pickup truck’s civilian driver, Richard Estomen, sustained gunshot wounds and remains hospitalized.
Capt. Steffie Salanguit, spokesperson of the Police Regional Office–Bangsamoro Autonomous Region, said police investigators are coordinating with local government officials, the Malabang Municipal Police Station, and respected Maranao traditional leaders to identify and apprehend those responsible.
Authorities have yet to establish the motive behind the attack, but the incident has renewed concerns over sporadic armed violence that continues to threaten civilians and security forces in parts of Lanao del Sur.
The killing of a soldier in the line of duty and the death of an educator who happened to be passing through the area underscore the devastating toll that armed attacks continue to inflict on communities striving for peace in the Bangsamoro region.
