COTABATO CITY, Philippines โ Police and military investigators are racing to identify the gunmen who opened fire on the convoy of Bangsamoro Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua in a brazen roadside attack that sent panic through a farming community in Maguindanao del Norte.
The assault happened Saturday afternoon, August 15, as Macacua’s convoy passed through Barangay Bitu in Datu Odin Sinsuat.
Three vehicles were hit by assault-rifle fire, including the bulletproof Toyota Land Cruiser carrying the Bangsamoro leader.
Remarkably, Macacua and everyone traveling with him escaped unharmed.
Investigators are now working to establish how the gunmen carried out the attack, identify those responsible and determine whether the shooting was politically motivated.
Witnesses in Barangay Bitu told reporters that the attackers opened fire from along the highway before quickly escaping toward a hinterland area.
The sudden burst of gunfire sent villagers into a panic.
Intelligence units join the hunt
Brig. Gen. Ricky Bunayog, acting commander of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division, said military intelligence personnel are working with police investigators to identify the perpetrators.
Army intelligence officers have also sought the assistance of traditional Moro leaders in Datu Odin Sinsuat, who could provide information about the identities and movements of the attackers.
Bunayog said the objective is to identify the suspects and ensure they face prosecution.
Police Brig. Gen. Christopher Abecia, regional director of the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region, said police and military units in Maguindanao del Norte are cooperating in the investigation.
The authorities have yet to publicly identify any suspects or announce a motive for the attack.
Attack raises election security fears
The shooting comes at a particularly sensitive time for BARMM, with the region preparing for its first parliamentary elections on September 14.
The elections will cover Maguindanao del Norte, Maguindanao del Sur, Lanao del Sur, Basilan and Tawi-Tawi, as well as the cities of Lamitan, Marawi and Cotabato.
The convoy was returning to the Bangsamoro regional capitol in Cotabato City after Macacua attended a massive gathering of Bangsamoro Federalist Party supporters in Barangay Gambar, Kabuntalan.
The event marked Macacua’s symbolic assumption as chairman of the party, which is fielding candidates for seats in the 80-member Bangsamoro parliament.
Party founders, including regional parliament member Tomanda Antok, formally turned over the party leadership to Macacua during the gathering.
Macacua had filed his candidacy for a parliamentary seat as an independent candidate on May 7.
The political significance of the event has placed the ambush under particular scrutiny as authorities prepare for the September elections.
Political leaders condemn attack
The Bangsamoro Federalist Party condemned the shooting, while Cotabato City Mayor Bruce Matabalao and Basilan Gov. Mujiv Hataman also denounced the attack.
Abecia and Bunayog separately issued statements condemning the violence.
BARMM Labor and Employment Minister Muslimin Sema, president of the Bangsamoro Party of the Moro National Liberation Front, also called for the perpetrators to be identified and prosecuted.
Authorities have not said whether the attack was connected to the election campaign or Macacua’s political activities.
For now, investigators are focusing on the gunmen’s escape route, information from witnesses and intelligence gathered from communities in Datu Odin Sinsuat.
With three vehicles struck by assault-rifle fire and the attack carried out along a public highway, investigators face the urgent task of determining who planned the ambush, who carried it out and why Macacua’s convoy was targeted.
The investigation remains ongoing.
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