3 killed in vote-rich Maguindanao town in just 24 hours

DATU ODIN SINSUAT, Maguindanao — Three were killed in separate gun attacks here in a span of just 24 hours.

The last to fall was Bangon Modul, ambushed by gunmen in Sitio Tenorio in Barangay Awang here on Thursday morning.

He was riding his motorcycle en route to Labungan here when men on a vehicle trailing behind shot him with M16 rifles as they got close.

Responding personnel of the Datu Odin Sinsuat Municipal Police found in the scene spent 5.56 millimeter bullet shells, the ammunition for an M16 rifle.

Col. Jibin Bongcayao, director of the Maguindanao provincial police, said Thursday investigators have tapped barangay officials and traditional Moro leaders in trying to identify the killers of Modul.

He was killed a day after the separate gun attacks in the town proper of Datu Odin Sinsuat that resulted in the deaths of Norhanudin Mama and Kumpay Akmad.

They were fatally shot one after another with .45 caliber pistols by men whose identities are still unknown.