Manila — Four of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s bodyguards were shot and wounded on Wednesday by suspected communist rebels a day after the insurgents warned of attacks, authorities said. Duterte was not in the convoy when gunmen opened fire on two presidential security group vehicles along a highway on the main southern island of Mindanao, they added. A military official blamed the New People’s Army — the 4,000-member armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines — for the ambush. "This is part of their nationwide call for armed groups to oppose martial law by launching intensified offensives against government forces," Brig-Gen Gilberto Gapay, a senior Mindanao military official, told radio station DZBB in Manila. The ambush came a day after Duterte asked congress for authorisation to place Mindanao under martial law until December to defeat Islamic State (IS) group-styled militants fighting security forces in the city of Marawi. A 60-day martial rule is already in ...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.