Maguindanao massacre witness survives ambush, driver dies
Breaking News • 13:30 PM Wed Jun 3, 2020
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By:
Romeo San Rafael/contributor
The victims' car after it rammed on a roadside kambingan in Barangay Bukay Pait, Tantangan, South Cotabato. (PNP photos)
KORONADAL CITY – Unidentified gunmen on board luxury vehicle ambushed Wednesday morning a witness to the Maguindanao massacre while heading for South Cotabato, killing his driver, police said.
Colonel Jemwel Siason, South Cotabato police director, said in a radio interview that the ambush occurred at 10 a.m. along the national highway linking Tacurong City and Koroandal City.
Particularly the ambush occurred in Purok Maligaya, Barangay Bukay Pait, Tantangan, South Cotabato.
Richard Escovilla, driver of Toyota Innova (ZPU-341), was killed while his passengers, Rey Fritz Pontanoza and Menito Siyal, both from Department of Justice Witness Protection Program (WPP) and Mohammad Sangki, massacre witness, were injured.
“One of them was a witness to the Maguindanao massacre case,” Siason said.
Siason said they were on their way to Gen. Santos City airport from Tacurong City en route to Manila.
“Upon reaching the aforesaid place unidentified suspects onboard alleged Mitsubishi Montero fired using an unidentified caliber of firearms toward the victims,” the Tantangan municipal police report submitted to South Cotabato police office said.
The victims’ vehicle rammed a roadside Kambingan eatery.
Scene of the crime operatives are still conducting post crime investigation.
Siason said the van has three passengers aside from the driver. He could not say anything about their condition.
Sangki survived an attempt to his life in Maguindanao in 2019, police said. (