Local terrorist group eyed in Maguindanao ambush
The Philippine National Police is investigating the possible involvement of a local terrorist group in the deadly ambush in Maguindanao del Sur that killed five police officers and wounded three others last Saturday night.
PNP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Randulf Tuaño said in a press briefing at Camp Crame on Monday that initial findings suggest the attack might have been a retaliatory move from a local terrorist group, whose name was withheld pending investigation.
“This is possibly a retaliatory attack on our government troops in relation to recent accomplishments against the group,” Tuaño said.
He noted that several members of the group had been arrested in operations launched by the Police Regional Office Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (PRO BAR) from October 2025 to the present.
Aside from the ongoing manhunt for the suspects, PNP officials are also assessing potential administrative lapses that may have contributed to the incident, particularly the absence of a police detachment and poor lighting in the ambush site.
‘Blind corner’
“The area is a blind corner. Back in the day, there was a detachment there,” Tuaño added.
At around 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 28, members of the 2nd Provincial Mobile Force Company of the Maguindanao del Sur Police Provincial Office were returning to Camp Datu Akilan after a patrol, when unidentified gunmen ambushed them along Barangay Mother Poblacion in Shariff Aguak.
Five officers were killed on the spot, while three others were wounded.
“This is not just an attack on our people but an attack on peace and order and a direct affront to the rule of law,” said PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. during Monday’s flag-raising ceremony, where a moment of silence was held for the fallen policemen.
“Such violence has no place in our community. We will not be intimidated. The PNP will not stop until those responsible are held accountable,” Nartatez added.
Support for victims’ kin
The PNP chief directed PRO-BAR to extend immediate and sustained assistance to the victims’ families.
“To the families of our fallen heroes, we extend our deepest condolences in your time of grief. Their sacrifice will not be forgotten and it will not be in vain,” Nartatez said.
The Office of the President and the PNP also vowed financial assistance to the injured personnel and will confer posthumous honors on the slain officers.
The deadly ambush came amid a spate of violent incidents in Maguindanao del Sur and nearby Lanao del Sur.
Just hours before the incident, Police Cpl. Walid Sancopan, 42, was killed in an ambush by motorcycle-riding gunmen in Barangay Paglamatan, Saguiaran, Lanao del Sur. His companion, identified only as alias “JayR,” a resident of Bukidnon, was also shot dead.
Capt. Steffi Salanguit, PRO-BAR spokesperson, said the victims were aboard a gray Toyota Innova when two assailants on a motorcycle opened fire using a .45-caliber pistol. Police are reviewing CCTV footage and pursuing a manhunt against the suspects.
Two days later, on Monday morning, March 30, another ambush occurred in Barangay Malangit, Pandag, Maguindanao del Sur.
Hadji Mansor Mangelen, chair of Barangay Damalusay in Paglat town, suffered minor injuries, while his driver, Arafa Abpet, was seriously hurt after motorcycle-riding gunmen opened fire on their black Toyota Innova.
“The suspects overtook the victims’ vehicle and then opened fire on the driver’s side,” Salanguit said. The victims were rushed to Buluan District Hospital in Maguindanao del Sur.
Later that same evening, two men were also wounded in a separate ambush in Barangay Baital, Rajah Buayan town. Their motives remain under investigation.
Threats persist
Although the group behind the Shariff Aguak ambush has yet to be identified, both the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters and Daulah Islamiyah are known to operate in Maguindanao and have been involved in past attacks and bombings.
According to a December 2025 report from the Armed Forces of the Philippines, local terrorist groups have been significantly weakened in recent years, with membership dropping from 1,257 in 2016 to about 50 by late 2025.
