An alleged henchman of the Ampatuans was shot and killed by the bodyguards of the Mangudadatus when they crossed each other’s path inside a shopping mall in Davao City Thursday evening.

Sketchy reports showed that one Tamano Kamendan who is from Shariff Aguak, and is said to be a bodyguard of the Ampatuans; came across the group of Buluan Vice Mayor Eshmael Mangudadatu inside Gaisano South along Ilustre Street this city around 7:30 in the evening.

According to official police report, Kamendan tried to grab the 11-year old daughter of Mangudadatu at the fourth floor of the Gaisano South Mall’s children’s wear section. Mangudadatu’s two uniformed bodyguards made a chase and grappled with the suspect who in turn tried to grab the firearms of the bodyguards.

It was learned that Mangudadatu was with his daughters, Margaret and Grace, shopping at the mall for his valentine’s gift to his children when the incident happened.

The 41-year old Kamendan sustained five gunshot wounds from the different parts of his body that resulted to his instantaneous death. Kamendan was allegedly identified by the Mangudadatus as one of those involved in the gruesome November 23 Maguindanao massacre where the vice mayor’s wife and several other relatives were among the 57 victims.

Police authorities recovered three empty shells from a .9mm caliber hand gun and five empty shells of .45 caliber pistol. The bodyguards of Mangudadatu were identified as PO1 Ibrahim Langalen and PO1 Surab Bantas of the Police Regional Office-Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte readily went to Gaisano South and advised Mangudadatu to be more careful.

As of this posting, police are still investigating the incident and Mangudadatu and his bodyguards were invited by the police for questioning.

Mangudadatu’s wife and relatives were among the 57 civilians killed in Maguindanao last November 23 where the Ampatuans are the primary suspects.