Motorist dead, companion hurt in Zamboanga del Sur ambush

COTABATO CITY, Philippines — Gunmen killed a Moro motorist and wounded another in an ambush on Friday night, August 30, in Barangay Tapodoc in Labangan, Zamboanga del Sur.

In separate reports on Sunday, the Labangan Municipal Police Station and the Zamboanga del Sur Provincial Police Office identified the fatality as Abusama Wahab, who died on the spot from multiple bullet wounds.

The attack left Wahab’s companion, Bren Dalidigan, also an ethnic Maguindanaon, badly wounded.

The victims were riding a motorcycle together when gunmen, positioned along a barangay road in Tapodoc, opened fire as they got close.

Witnesses had told responding police investigators that one of the ambushers approached Wahab while sprawled on the concrete pavement and finished him off with several more shots to the head and upper torso, before they fled.

Wahab was immediately buried by relatives in keeping with an Islamic tradition of burying the dead within 24 hours from time of death.