LIBUNGAN, NORTH COTABATO — Four unidentified gunmen killed Libungan, North Cotabato town mayor Mayor Christopher “Amping” Cuan, and his 36-year-old driver Edwin Navarro Ihao , at around 10:30 in the morning, January 11, 2021.
Based on reports gathered by Newsline, Cuan just arrived from Davao City and proceeded to Barangay Cabayuran to check the ongoing construction of his cockpit when found by four unidentified armed men who fired upon them.
North Cotabato Governor Nancy Catamco in a statement condemned Cuan’s killing.
In a statement, Catamco said:
“The killing today of Mayor Christopher M. Amping of the Municipality of Libungan in the Province of Cotabato must be condemned in the highest degree.I have instructed the Cotabato Provincial PNP Director to immediately conduct thorough investigation on this violent incident in order to achieve full justice for Mayor Christopher M. Amping and the other victim of this unconscionable and heinous crime.”
Based on the report from North Cotabato provincial Command, their initial investigation revealed that “The victims just arrived from Davao city and proceeded to Cabuyaran Cockpit arena to inspect the ongoing construction of said gallera while four (4) unidentified suspects on board a color blue SUV tailed and shoot them several times using unidentifed long firearms”.
In 2016, Cuan was among the government officials whom President Rodrigo Duterte identified in his ‘narcolist’.
In 2019, Cuan was ambushed but survived the incident.-Randy I. Patches/Newsline