In response to a brutal highway robbery that resulted in the death of an ice cream delivery driver, Shariff Aguak’s Mayor Akmad Mitra Ampatuan has announced a PHP150,000 reward for information leading to the capture of the two perpetrators. The incident occurred on Monday afternoon in Barangay Timbangan, where assailants on a motorcycle shot and killed Ray Balmores, a driver from Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao del Norte, and stole a bag of cash.
The attack not only claimed Balmores’ life but also left two of his colleagues, Harris Ampatuan from Shariff Aguak and Reymond Bajas from Masbate City, injured. The victims were en route from Rajah Buayan, Maguindanao del Sur, to Cotabato City when the robbery took place.
Mayor Ampatuan expressed his determination to expedite the investigation through his online post, hoping the reward would encourage witnesses to come forward. Colonel Ryan Bobby Paloma, the Maguindanao del Sur police provincial director, confirmed that a manhunt is actively underway to apprehend the armed suspects.
The mayor also called on the police to take measures to prevent such violent incidents from recurring in the municipality, highlighting the need for enhanced security on the highways.