In a chilling daylight attack, a government employee was brutally gunned down in Matalam, North Cotabato, sparking a manhunt for the assailants. The victim, identified as Joseph Ferdinand Gimenez, a dedicated municipal worker from Barangay Poblacion, was driving a government-issued pick-up truck when he was mercilessly shot by two unidentified gunmen on a motorcycle along the national highway on Sunday morning.
The Cotabato Police Provincial Office, led by spokesperson Lt. James Warren Caang, is actively investigating the motive behind this heinous crime and working to identify the perpetrators. The police have already collected 14 slugs and empty shells from a .45-caliber pistol at the scene, marking the first such violent incident since the election gun ban and increased police presence in the area.
In a related development, authorities are also on the trail of a former detainee who launched a grenade attack against a police patrol car in Kabacan town just days earlier. The suspect, previously arrested for illegal firearm possession and released on bail, reportedly sought revenge against law enforcement. The grenade explosion, which occurred as officers were returning to their vehicle after a chase, damaged the patrol car but fortunately caused no injuries.
These back-to-back incidents have heightened tensions and underscored the challenges faced by law enforcement in maintaining peace and security in the region.