Basilan soldier, paramilitary troops killed in ‘personal grudge’ shooting

Municipality of Tipo-Tipo in Basilan province.
Screen grab via Google Maps

MANILA, Philippines (Update 1, 4:22 p.m.) — A total of four were killed in a Friday evening shooting in Basilan province, including one soldier and at least two members of the military auxiliary Citizen Armed Force Geographical Unit (CAFGU), while four others were wounded, military and police authorities said.

Maj. Arvin John Encinas, spokesman of Western Mindanao Command, said the incident occurred about 10:30 p.m. at Barangay Bohe Lebbung, outside a military detachment in the municipality of Tipo-Tipo. 

The incident involved members of a local Barangay Peacekeeping Action Team helmed by Karim Manisan.

Among the identified victims is Private First Class Mark Anthony Monte from the said military detachment in Barangay Bohe-Lebbung.

"Per initial inquiry/investigation conducted by the troops in the area, the motive which led to the shooting incident is a personal grudge between [Monte] and [Manisan]," according to Joint Task Force Basilan.

“[A] few moments before the incident, [Monte] was invited by [Manisan] at his house, more or less 120 meters away from the detachment, when [Monte’s] group was fired upon by the group of [Manisan]."

The suspects immediately escaped towards unknown area and have been the subject of manhunt operation of the police and military forces in Tipo-Tipo, according to the Basilan Police Provincial Office.

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