By Edwin Fernandez
COTABATO CITY – Authorities in Maguindanao del Norte have launched a massive manhunt for two gunmen on a motorbike who ambushed and killed a female lawyer and injured her fiancé on Monday afternoon, police said.
Lt. Col. Jackson Lopez, municipal police chief of Datu Odin Sinsuat, confirmed that investigators are pursuing leads to identify the suspects and determine the motive behind the attack.
The victims, lawyers Junisa Kimamao and Ibrahim Pendatu, were ambushed at 3:15 p.m. while traveling in a vehicle driven by Pendatu.
Lopez said police and village watchmen responded to the scene, rushing the victims to the hospital.
Kimamao, a certified public accountant and lawyer, sustained fatal gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at the hospital. Pendatu, who suffered a gunshot wound on the right side of his body, is currently recuperating.
The couple, who were set to marry next month, were law partners.
“We are exploring all possible motives and are awaiting a statement from the wounded lawyer, who is still recovering,” Lopez said in a radio interview.
The incident has sparked outrage among local officials and the legal community, with calls for a thorough investigation to ensure justice for the victims.
The Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) Cotabato City chapter condemned the attack, calling it a “cowardly act” and urging authorities to bring the perpetrators to justice.
“This act of violence is an affront to the values of peace, justice, and respect for life that the IBP upholds,” the group said in a statement. “We couldn’t fathom how someone could commit, such an evil act during the Holy Month of Ramadan, especially against young lawyers.” (PNA)
