A doctor's life: Ambush

Just when I thought that I was in the safety of the hills of Bukidnon - far from Landasan, a man on a motorcycle rushed to the clinic one morning, and with a pale face and a quivering voice said that he just happened to pass by the manager of the industries in MVC, a victim of an apparent ambuscade.

Boy, as we all fondly call him was a good friend of mine dating back to college days. He considered himself an adopted son of my parents and we were just like brothers and our kids were about the same age. At this time he was managing the industrial and agricultural departments and on this particular morning he was on board his motorcycle inspecting the banana and rubber projects in the back hills. I immediately radioed the motor pool for a 4X4 vehicle and we raced to the spot where Boy was - about 2 kilometers uphill from the campus. A horrific scene met our eyes the moment we got there. Boy was lying lifeless supine by the side of the road with four gunshot wounds that shattered his arm bones and the blood and marrow was still oozing out from the gaping wound. Pieces of flesh and bones could be seen on the road and the leaves of the trees and grasses nearby. Apparently the gun used was of a high caliber and yet the perpetrators were not content in finishing the job with just one shot.

I surveyed the scene and tried to take in the shocking truth that my bosom friend was gone. There was nothing that I could do at this point except to think of a way to break the sad news to his wife and kids. I realized that the criminals could just be nearby, maybe watching us from a distance and so we hurriedly loaded Boy on the truck and returned to the campus.

This sad event made me realize that there is practically no safe place in this world.