Maguindanao del Sur gov alarmed over brazenness of ambush vs town mayor

COTABATO CITY — Maguindanao del Sur Governor Ali Midtimbang strongly condemned the attempt on the life of Shariff Aguak town Mayor Akmad Mita Ampatuan Sr., even as he expressed alarm over the brazenness of his attackers.

“While we are thankful that Mayor Mitra was unharmed, this incident is deeply alarming and will not be treated lightly,” Midtimbang said.

“We are deeply concerned by the brazenness of this attack, which occurred in a residential area and put the lives of civilians at risk,” he stressed.

“Violence, intimidation, and lawlessness will not be tolerated in the province,” he added.

Major Gen. Vladimir Cagara, commander of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division and chief of Joint Task Force Central (JTFC), commended the soldiers and their police counterparts for their swift, decisive, and coordinated response following the mayor’s ambush.

“The rapid establishment of strategic checkpoints significantly constrained the movement of perpetrators, preventing them from causing further harm to civilians,” Cagara said. “It demonstrated the effectiveness of the joint security operations,” he added.

The 6th ID chief assured the public that the situation in Shariff Aguak was under control and that all necessary measures were being undertaken to bring the remaining perpetrators to justice.

One of the four suspects managed to escape unharmed while the three were killed in an ensuing shootout, according to Shariff Aguak police.

Speaking to reporters on Monday, Ampatuan said he had no known enemies and that he was puzzled as to why many wanted him dead.

Ampatuan claimed he already survived four ambuscades, including last Sunday’s attack inside his bulletproof Toyota Land Cruiser.

READ: Police eye gun for hire in attack vs Maguindanao del Sur town mayor

After the attack, Ampatuan, still wearing black jogging pants and a white sando, emerged from his car while his security escorts chased the suspects.

Following a brief running gun battle involving Ampatuan’s escorts, police, and the Army’s 90th Infantry Battalion troopers, three men were found dead in a mini-van in Barangay Meta, Datu Unsay, Maguindanao del Sur.

Brig. Gen. Jaysen De Guzman, police regional director for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), identified the slain suspects as Budtong Pendatun, alias “Rap-Rap,” Teks Pendatun, and Alias “Puasa,” all residents of Barangay Meta, Datu Unsay, Maguindanao del Sur.

Police also found the RPG launcher and a rifle from the mini-van that was captured on closed-circuit television (CCTV)  during the 6 a.m. attack against Ampatuan./coa