by: Abu Nusaybah
COTABATO CITY - Malacañang is urging calm across the Bangsamoro region after armed men ambushed the convoy of Interim Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua in Maguindanao del Norte on Saturday afternoon.
The attack occurred around 4:45 p.m. along the national highway in Barangay Bitu, Datu Odin Sinsuat. Rifle fire struck three vehicles, including Macacua’s bulletproof car, but the chief minister, his companions, and his security detail escaped unharmed.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. immediately directed state security forces to investigate the incident and hold the perpetrators accountable. Special Assistant to the President Anton Lagdameo Jr. echoed the President’s mandate, emphasizing that the violence must not undermine the region’s stability or its democratic transition.
Authorities have yet to identify the gunmen or establish a motive. Army intelligence units are currently assisting the Datu Odin Sinsuat Municipal Police Station in the probe. Meanwhile, the Commission on Elections has ordered the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines to hunt down the suspects to maintain regional order.
Lagdameo appealed to Bangsamoro leaders and residents to avoid speculation and exercise restraint. He stressed that preserving peace is critical as the region prepares for its historic first regular parliamentary elections. The national government vowed to protect the broader Bangsamoro peace process and ensure that political or personal disputes are settled through lawful means, not violence.
