COTABATO CITY — A municipal treasurer and her husband were injured following an ambush by armed men along a section of the highway in Guindulungan town, Maguindanao, on Wednesday.
Maj. Zul Kunakon, Guindulungan police chief, identified the victims as Roshel T. Kuit, acting municipal treasurer of Ampatuan, Maguindanao, and her husband, Jeric B. Kuit, a former human resource management officer (HRMO) of a banana plantation in the province.
The couple was on board their black Mitsubishi Montero vehicle (CAM-4811) traversing the highway in Barangay Bagan, Guindulungan at about 3 p.m. when fired upon by the ambushers who were positioned on both sides of the road.
“The ambushers fled after the incident, leaving the victims inside the vehicle slumped by the side of the road,” Kunakon said.
He said the couple was on their way home to Ampatuan town from Cotabato City when the ambush took place.
Responding policemen brought the victims to an undisclosed hospital where they remain under close observation by doctors.
Kunakon said investigators were still trying to determine the motive behind the attack.
A relative of one of the victims who spoke on condition of anonymity, however, said that he believed that the attack could have stemmed from Jeric’s work as former HRMO of the banana plantation.
“Jeric resigned from work earlier this year and maybe some quarters got angry as his section deals with the hiring and firing of workers,” the relative said, referring to the banana plantation he declined to name. -PNA