DATU SAUDI AMPATUAN, Maguindanao del Sur — Two men were killed and another was wounded after motorcycle-riding gunmen opened fire on their pickup truck along a national highway in Maguindanao del Sur, in another deadly attack unfolding as authorities enforce heightened security ahead of the historic Bangsamoro parliamentary elections.
The shooting happened shortly after noon on Thursday, August 20, 2026, in Barangay Salbu, Datu Saudi Ampatuan, according to reports from the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region.
The 56-year-old driver and his 40-year-old companion suffered fatal gunshot wounds and died at the scene, while a third passenger, identified as a laborer, was rushed to a hospital for treatment.
Additional reporting by Inquirer Mindanao identified the fatalities as businessman Kamarudin Mangansakan Ebus, a resident of Penafrancia Village in Cotabato City, and his driver, Mohalidin Latip Esmael.
The wounded passenger was identified as Kenedie Abdul Adin, also a resident of Cotabato City.
Attack Happened Near an Army Checkpoint
Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro spokesperson Capt. Steffi Salanguit said the victims were aboard a Hyundai pickup and were passing through a section of the national highway undergoing road repairs when the attackers struck.
One detail makes the incident particularly concerning from a security standpoint: according to the Inquirer report, the shooting occurred only about 200 meters from an Army checkpoint.
After the gunfire, the pickup reportedly crashed into a road barrier.
Police immediately began searching for the attackers, but as of the latest reports, no arrest had been announced.
Investigators are working to establish both the identities of the gunmen and the motive behind the attack.
Authorities have not publicly said whether the victims had received threats before the shooting, nor have they linked the attack to politics, terrorism, clan conflict or any other specific motive.
Another Fatal Shooting Hours Later
The violence did not end with the Datu Saudi Ampatuan attack.
At around 8 p.m. on the same day, another gunman allegedly shot tricycle driver Chopin Mohammad Blah along the diversion road in Barangay Capiton, Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao del Norte, according to Inquirer.
Blah was taken to the Cotabato Regional and Medical Center but was declared dead on arrival.
That second incident brought the number of people reported killed in the two separate Maguindanao gun attacks that day to three, with one person wounded.
Police investigations into both shootings remain underway.
Violence Comes During BARMM Election Period
The attacks have drawn additional attention because they occurred during the election period ahead of the September 14, 2026 Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Parliamentary Elections.
COMELEC records show that the election is scheduled for September 14, with the official election period running from July 16 through September 29, 2026 and the campaign period from July 30 through September 12.
COMELEC has also adopted specific rules concerning the election gun ban, checkpoints and security arrangements for the parliamentary vote.
The September election is particularly significant because it is set to be the first Bangsamoro parliamentary election, making security throughout the autonomous region a major concern as election day approaches.
Still, there is currently no verified evidence that the Datu Saudi Ampatuan shooting was election-related. Police have said they are continuing to investigate the motive.
Questions Remain After the Gunmen Escaped
For investigators, several critical questions remain unanswered.
Who ordered or carried out the attack?
Why were Ebus and his companions targeted?
And how were motorcycle-riding gunmen able to carry out a fatal daytime shooting reportedly just hundreds of meters from a military checkpoint before escaping?
Until investigators identify the attackers and establish a motive, those questions will remain at the center of a case that has again placed security in Maguindanao under scrutiny just weeks before one of the most consequential elections in the Bangsamoro region’s history.
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