Five agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) regional office at the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao were shot dead in an ambush Friday noon in Barangay Malna, Kapai, Lanao del Sur, said police.

In a report, the PDEA agents were on a white Toyota van going to Marawi City after attending a program for drug surrenders at the Tagoloan municipal police station when their vehicle was fired upon by undetermined number of gunmen.

Declared dead on arrival at Amai Pakpak Medical Center were Kenneth Tabulo, Kristine Mae Torlao, Lores Joy Amar and Binzo Dipolla of PDEA. Diobel Pacinio, also from PDEA, died while being treated, police said.

Rachel Gentapanan of PDEA and Normina Dicay, a non-uniformed police personnel from the Tagoloan municipal police are being treated at the hospital.

Police from Tagoloan and Kapai municipal stations are pursuing the gunmen, the report said. DMS