Chalssea Kate Echegoyen

Members of the Airforce Special Forces patrol the polling station at the Notre Dame Elementary School in Cotabato City, January 20, 2019. A day before the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) Plebiscite. Several provinces and territories in  Mindanao with Muslim populations vote for the ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law on January 21, 2019. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

Karen De Guzman

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1786950693582178694953199120190120-BOL-plebiscite-6448.png" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="Members of the Airforce Special Forces patrol the polling station at the Notre Dame Elementary School in Cotabato City, January 20, 2019. A day before the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) Plebiscite. Several provinces and territories in Mindanao with Muslim populations vote for the ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law on January 21, 2019. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Members of the Airforce Special Forces patrol the polling station at the Notre Dame Elementary School in Cotabato City, January 20, 2019. A day before the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) Plebiscite. Several provinces and territories in  Mindanao with Muslim populations vote for the ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law on January 21, 2019. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News</span></span></span></div><p>MANILA – Police are investigating whether a roadside explosion was part of a possible coordinated attack that preceded the strafing of Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Interim Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua’s convoy in Maguindanao del Norte on Saturday.</p><p>Police Regional Office-BAR spokesperson PCapt. Steffi Salanguit said the explosion occurred at around 4:50 p.m. as Macacua’s convoy was returning to Cotabato City after his oath-taking as president of the Bangsamoro Federalist Party.</p><p>The convoy was strafed shortly after the explosion.</p><p>The PNP is now looking into whether the blast was deliberately set off to slow down the convoy before the shooting.</p><p>“’Yun ‘yung lumalabas based doon sa series of events na nangyari noong araw na ‘yun,” Salanguit said.</p><p>“Masasabi natin na related kasi parang form of ano ‘yun eh, para mapabagal ‘yung kanilang takbo,” she added.</p><p>Macacua and the other members of the convoy were unharmed.</p><p>The investigation comes as police also look into the recovery of an 81mm unexploded ordnance along a route taken by Macacua earlier that day.</p><p>The ordnance was reported at around 1:40 p.m. and was cleared by the Explosive Ordnance Disposal team at around 5:30 p.m.</p><p>Police are now determining whether the unexploded ordnance was connected to the later explosion.</p><p>“Magkakalapit ‘yung oras. So, dini-determine pa talaga natin kung ‘yung naunang na-recover ay talagang supposedly kasama doon sa nangyaring pagsabog before ‘yung strafing incident,” Salanguit said.</p><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-ulB0claNPE?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><div><strong>81 CARTRIDGE CASES RECOVERED</strong></div><p>Police initially recovered 20 fired cartridge cases from the scene.</p><p>Ballistic examination showed that 15 of these were 5.56mm rounds and appeared to have been fired from a single firearm, while five were identified as 7.62mm.</p><p>Investigators later recovered another 61 mixed fired cartridge cases, bringing the total to 81 cartridge cases now being examined.</p><p>Police are conducting further ballistic tests to determine how many firearms were used in the attack.</p><p>“I-identify natin kung talagang dalawang baril lang ‘yung ginamit. Wala pang determined number of perpetrators and hopefully, lumabas na ang result ng ballistic examination,” Salanguit said.</p><p>Investigators are also examining the bullet trajectories to determine whether members of Macacua’s security detail fired back.</p><div><strong>SITG FORMED</strong></div><p>The PNP has created a Special Investigation Task Group Interim Chief Minister (SITG ICM) to investigate the incident and identify those responsible.</p><p>Police are continuing to gather statements from possible witnesses and members of the convoy.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/8/17/comelec-barmm-generally-peaceful-amid-ambush-on-chief-minister-s-convoy-1445"><strong>Comelec: BARMM &#x27;generally peaceful&#x27; amid ambush on chief minister&#x27;s convoy</strong></a></div><p>“We will leave no stones unturned para malaman natin, and we will be able to identify the perpetrators,” PNP Public Information Office chief PCol. Allen Rae Co said.</p><p>The PNP is also assessing whether the incident should be officially classified as an election-related incident (ERI), given that it involved a public official during the election period.</p><p>Co said the incident is currently considered a suspected ERI, but no final classification has been made.</p><p>“Alam naman natin election period is July 16 to September 29. So as of now it is still a suspected ERI,” Co said.</p><p>“Now, magco-convene ‘yung committee dito to ascertain whether this will be considered finally as ERI once it meets ‘yung mga criteria so to speak para maging ERI siya,” he added.</p><p>Co said the incident could potentially be the first to be officially classified as an ERI for the upcoming BARMM parliamentary elections.</p><p>“Possibly this will be the first, kung ever this will be later considered or confirmed as ERI,” he said.</p><p>The PNP said any changes in security deployment in the Bangsamoro region will depend on the ongoing threat assessment, in coordination with the Commission on Elections, Armed Forces of the Philippines and other concerned agencies.</p><p>More than 9,400 police personnel have been deployed specifically to secure the upcoming BARMM parliamentary elections, including around 4,500 personnel augmented from other units.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/regions/2026/8/16/palace-orders-probe-into-ambush-on-barmm-interim-chief-minister-1310"><strong>Palace orders probe into ambush on BARMM interim chief minister</strong></a></div><div><strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0T-q3o34RgQ?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><br/></div>

<p>Police are investigating whether a roadside explosion was part of a possible coordinated attack that preceded the strafing of Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Interim Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua’s convoy in Maguindanao del Norte on Saturday.</p>

Police are investigating whether a roadside explosion was part of a possible coordinated attack that preceded the strafing of Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Interim Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua’s convoy in Maguindanao del Norte on Saturday.

Blast before ambush on BARMM chief minister's convoy possibly linked - PNP

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Blast before ambush on BARMM chief minister's convoy possibly linked - PNP

Karen De Guzman,

ABS-CBN News

Published August 17, 2026 03:12 PM PHT

Read More:

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security

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