SHARIFF AGUAK, Maguindanao, 3 September — Gov. Andal Ampatuan survived the third attempt on his life yesterday in an ambush in which eight persons, including a town councilor, were wounded.
The military said gunmen attacked Ampatuan’s party along the national highway in Barangay Meta, Shariff Aguak town at around 8:45 a.m.
Two soldiers were wounded in a separate firefight following the ambush.
Maj. Julieto Ando, 6th Infantry Division spokesman, said Ampatuan was unhurt.
A military Hummer jeep in Ampatuan’s seven-vehicle convoy was burned after being hit by four rocket-propelled grenades fired by the suspects who were hiding on both sides of the highway.
One of Ampatuan’s security escorts was reportedly killed but Ando and Norie Unas, Ampatuan’s spokesman, denied this.
Two helicopter gunships were quickly dispatched to the ambush scene where they fired rockets at the fleeing suspects.
Ando said Ampatuan and his escorts were heading toward Cotabato City when about 30 suspected members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front waylaid them.
“The governor was unharmed but the rear of his car was hit by rocket grenades,” Unas told Radio DXMS.
Four rocket grenades also hit the Hummer, which was two cars in front of Ampatuan’s black Revo, wounding the security escorts.
At the same time, Ando said, another band of Moro rebels attacked an army base to prevent its troops from coming to the rescue of the ambushed convoy.
A 10-minute gun battle between some 15 suspected MILF rebels and elements of the 37th Infantry Battalion left two government soldiers, Sgt. Peche Juanites and militiaman Bobby Santuwa, wounded.
Unas identified the wounded in the attack against Ampatuan as Shariff Aguak Councilor Dainga Ampatuan; municipal employee Yu Kutob; Cafgus Samal Lasam, Datu Baba, Ali Radjak and Samal Lasam, and Army escorts Sgt. Alfredo Bianito and Sgt. Aniego, both of the 37th IB.
MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu denied his group was behind the attack. “We had nothing to do with it,” Kabalu said.
Sunday’s ambush was the third against Ampatuan this year. On April 17, his convoy was ambushed in Barangay Baka, Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao while he was on the campaign trail. Five civilians were killed in that ambush.
On July 3, Ampatuan’s convoy was approaching Quirino Bridge near Cotabato City when it was attacked, resulting in the death of one of his escorts.
The incident also triggered a fire that gutted at least 26 houses.
