2 Soldiers Killed in Maguindanao del Norte Ambush

Two off-duty soldiers were killed in an ambush on a highway in Barangay Ladia, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao del Norte, at dusk on Wednesday, September 23. Captain Steffie Salanguit, spokesperson for the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (PRO-BARMM), and senior officials from the Army’s 6th Infantry Division confirmed that the slain soldiers were Pfc. Jobert Labuson, 44, and Pfc. John Mark Dumaguing, both belonging to the 7th Infantry Battalion. Labuson and Dumaguing were riding a motorcycle together, returning to their roadside detachment in Barangay Ladia after procuring food supplies from stores in another barangay. They were attacked by men armed with pistols. The attackers, also on motorcycles, fled immediately after the incident, leaving the soldiers sprawled on the side of the highway with profusely bleeding gunshot wounds. The two soldiers were brought to the Cotabato Regional Medical Center in Cotabato City for treatment by their companions from the 7th IB and emergency responders. They were declared dead approximately two hours after being waylaid. Local executives and traditional Moro community leaders in Sultan Kudarat, one of the 12 towns in Maguindanao del Norte, have condemned the incident. The ambush site is located less than 20 kilometers north of Cotabato City, the seat of the regional government of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region. The incident highlights the security challenges in the region and underscores the need for intensified efforts to ensure the safety of personnel, even when off-duty. Authorities are pursuing leads to identify and apprehend the perpetrators. Information Source: Philstar Nation