COTABATO CITY – Two army soldiers were gunned down Friday morning in Cotabato City in southern Philippines despite an extended martial law in the troubled region.
The duo – both in civilian clothes – was travelling on a motorcycle when gunmen ambushed them along Sinsuat Avenue at around 9 in the morning.
The soldiers were instantly killed in the attack. The 6th Infantry Division did not release any report on the twin murders, but gun attacks here are not uncommon.
Photos of the slain soldiers were circulated on Facebook and have identified them as Private First Class Nerwin Delfin and Michael Haudar, who were members of the 37th Infantry Battalion. Their unit is deployed in Maguindanao province. Witnesses said motorcycle gunmen attacked the duo without warning.
It was unknown if the killings were perpetrated by rebels or pro-ISIS militants fighting for a separate state in Mindanao where President Rodrigo Duterte imposed martial law since last year following a deadly siege by militants in Marawi City.
The murders occurred ahead of the referendum next month of the controversial Bangsamoro Organic Law which. If ratified, it would replace the current Muslim autonomous region and would be ruled by the rebel group Moro Islamic Liberation Front which signed an interim peace deal with Manila in 2014. (Mindanao Examiner)
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