Dawn Murder Shows Barriers to Mindanao Riches: Southeast Asia

Cris Bual’s work for mining giant Xstrata Plc made him a target for Maoist rebels, armed bandits, or just about anyone with a gun for hire. When traveling from the relative safety of Davao City into the badlands of the Philippine island of Mindanao, Bual kept his schedule and route secret. That wasn’t enough to save him.

While two gunmen blocked off the street where Bual and his wife were jogging near their Davao home around 5:50 a.m. one Friday in September, a third walked up to the 53-year-old and shot him dead. The gang escaped on a black Honda Wave motorbike with no plates, according to police reports. On June 20, one of Xstrata’s security personnel and a policeman were shot dead near the company’s mine site.