COTABATO CITY (MindaNews / 30 March) — The spokesperson of the Police Regional Office of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (PRO-BAR) on Monday said the Dawlah Islamiyah (DI) was responsible for the Saturday night ambush of a police patrol car in Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao del Sur, that killed five police officers and injured three others.
But Captain Steffi Salanguit said “this type of attack is a possible indication of their weakening forces, where the remaining members of the group are allegedly becoming desperate to sow fear and show presence.”
Salanguit said they are withholding the names of the suspects who ambushed the vehicle of the police officers under the 2nd Provincial Mobile Force Company (PMFC) of the Maguindanao del Sur Police Provincial Office (MDSPPO) as they were heading back to their headquarters at Camp Datu Akilan at around 9:10 p.m. on March 28.
The Dawlah Islamiyah is a local extremist group that has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State. It was among the groups that laid siege in Marawi City in May 2017, in what would be a five-month war that left hundreds dead, displaced thousands and destroyed parts of Marawi City.
The MDSPPO has established a Special Investigation Task Group (SITG-2ND PMFC) under Special Order No. 130, led by Police Director Col. Salman Sapal. The task force’s investigation includes tracker teams, technical and legal support units, and a specialized support team.
Authorities are also concerned over the loss of government property, as three long firearms and three short firearms were reported missing and presumably seized by the attackers following the ambush.
Salanguit said another ambush involving a police officer in Saguiaran, Lanao del Sur, on Sunday morning is not connected to the Dawlah Islamiyah. Preliminary investigations suggest that the Lanao del Sur incident is more likely linked to rido, or a local clan feud.
Salanguit identified the five slain patrolmen as Kenneth Perocho, Al-Fatah Marohom, Amil Bangsa, Arsenal Sivih and Sayed Ridwan while injured were PLt Alfred Gregory, PSSg Adam Kansi and Pat Abubakar Lauban.
Bangsamoro Chief Minister Abdulraof “Sammy” Macacua condemned the attack, calling it “a threat to peace and order in Bangsamoro region.
“To the perpetrators, you better surrender because we will not let this pass without you being held accountable,” he warned during his visit to the wounded policemen in a Cotabato City hospital.
“This type of violence is a direct assault on the law, order, and peace that we have strived to uphold in our town. We will not allow fear and chaos to prevail in Shariff Aguak,” Shariff Aguak Vice Mayor Hadji Oping Ampatuan said.
The ambush site on the road leading to the Maguindanao del Sur Police Headquarters is a known hotspot for ambushes. This is the third incident in the same area after January 1, 2018 and June 15, 2023, resulting in both civilian and police casualties.
In 2018 and 2023, members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters were tagged as primary suspects. (Ferdinandh B. Cabrera / MindaNews)
