Violence involving firearms continues to grip the two Maguindanao provinces despite the gun ban being observed in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) for the Sept. 14 historic parliamentary polls, with a farmer the latest fatality.
Since the gun ban took effect on July 16, at least 12 people have been killed and eight wounded in gun attacks in Maguindanao del Sur and Maguindanao del Norte, according to verified information gathered by the Inquirer.
The latest victim was Ebrahim Kalotig Timbao, 45, a resident of Barangay Datu Bakal in Shariff Saydona Mustapha, Maguindanao del Sur, Capt. Steffi Salanguit, Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (PRO-BAR) spokesperson, said on Monday.
She said police investigators are considering several persons of interest in the killing, which took place at 5:50 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 23, in Barangay Dilembong, Shariff Saydona Mustapha.
Capt. Yasher Hadjirulla, acting chief of the Shariff Saydona Mustapha municipal police station, said Timbao was driving his motorcycle home when gunmen aboard an unmarked minivan opened fire on him. Timbao died at the scene.
His family took his body to their residence in Barangay Datu Bakal for Islamic burial rites.
Police Scene of the Crime Operatives recovered nine fired cartridges believed to be from a 5.56mm-caliber firearm. The cartridges were turned over to the Shariff Saydona Mustapha police for further investigation.
Explosion
In Maguindanao del Sur, seven other people were killed and seven others wounded in separate gun attacks and an explosion amid the gun ban.
The fatalities included Misuari Mayuan, a village councilor of Barangay Alunganen in Datu Piang, who was shot dead by unidentified gunmen while riding his motorcycle in Talayan town.
Among those wounded were three soldiers who were wounded when two suspects riding a motorcycle lobbed a hand grenade at a military convoy in Shariff Aguak.
In Maguindanao del Norte, four people were killed and another was wounded in separate gun attacks despite the gun ban.
On Aug. 15, the convoy of Bangsamoro interim Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua was ambushed in Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao del Norte. Macacua and the members of his convoy were unharmed.
As of Sunday, authorities had arrested 19 people for allegedly violating the gun ban in the Bangsamoro region, according to police records.