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No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, and investigators have yet to determine the motive and identify suspects
COTABATO CITY, Philippines – A bomb attack wounded a man and his teenage daughter in Shariff Aguak town in Maguindanao del Sur on Saturday evening, May 10, hours after a firefight between government troops and former rebels as violence linked to upcoming elections continued to escalate.
The explosion occurred around 7:55 pm in Barangay Mother Poblacion, injuring 40-year-old Montaser Paglas Mamaluba and his 13-year-old daughter, Julpa Kasan Mamaluba, according to Lieutenant Colonel Jopy Ventura, police spokesperson in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
The victims, both residents of the village, were rushed to the Integrated Provincial Health Office for treatment. Authorities did not provide details on the severity of their injuries.
Security personnel from the Shariff Aguak police and the Army’s 90th Infantry Battalion cordoned off the site of the explosion. An explosive ordnance team was dispatched to conduct a post-blast investigation.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. Investigators have yet to determine the motive and identify suspects.
Ventura said residents were urged to remain alert and report suspicious activities even as he described the attack to be a “concerning event” in Shariff Aguak.
A day earlier, two soldiers were wounded during clashes with suspected members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front’s (MILF) 118th base command in the same town, said Brigadier General Patricio Ruben Amata, deputy commander of Joint Task Force Central and head of the government’s ceasefire monitoring body.
The military launched pursuit and clearing operations following the encounter, as tensions in parts of the province intensified ahead of the May 2025 elections.
The watchdog Climate Conflict Action Asia (CCAA) said the incident comes amid a spike in pre-election violence. It has recorded 219 election-related deaths nationwide since the filing of candidacies began in October last year, surpassing the 165 fatalities reported during the 2023 barangay and youth council elections.
Most of the deaths were caused by gun-related violence, CCAA said.
The predominantly Muslim Bangsamoro region has long grappled with election-related violence and feuds involving armed clans and former insurgents, despite a peace deal with the MILF signed in 2014.
Election monitoring
Meanwhile in Zamboanga City, the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) activated its Election Monitoring Action Center (EMAC) ahead of the midterm elections.
The EMAC, launched on Thursday, May 8, will serve as a central hub for monitoring election-related incidents and military coordination with the Commission on Elections (Comelec), the Philippine National Police (PNP), and other stakeholders in Western Mindanao and the BARMM..
PREPARATIONS. Major General Romaldo Bayting (left), deputy director of the Area Police Command-Western Mindanao, says 3,684 police officers trained as Special Electoral Board members are deployed in the region, with others assigned to election security duties. Teofilo Garcia Jr./RapplerWestmincom’s jurisdiction spans four regions, including the BARMM, which officials consider the most challenging in terms of security. The area includes 16 provinces and 16 cities, with around 11 million registered voters.
“Through the EMAC, we will be able to monitor the situation in every polling area in the entire Joint Operational Area of Westmincom and respond to any incident that may arise during the election period,” Lieutenant General Antonio Nafarrete, Westmincom commander, said.
Nafarrete said about 2,250 more troops from other regions have been deployed to boost election security in areas under the Westmincom.
He said 180 more soldiers from Luzon would arrive in Central Mindanao ahead of the vote.
Lieutenant Colonel Al-Nasser Abdurakman, Civil Military Operations director of the Tactical Operations Wing in Western Mindanao, said ground forces would be supported around the clock by nine military drones.
The drones send real-time images to the EMAC at Camp Don Basilio Navarro, which houses Westmincom headquarters in Zamboanga City.
Colonel J-Jay Javines, Westmincom spokesperson, said each infantry brigade will have its own drones.
“These drones can be deployed in areas where there are election-related violent incidents to get real-time information,” Javines said.
Two Pave Hawk helicopters and two attack helicopters have been prepositioned in the Maguindanao areas, with two more aircraft stationed in Marawi City for rapid response.
Rear Admiral Francisco Tagamolila Jr., commander of the Naval Forces Western Mindanao, said six patrol craft were deployed to secure sea routes from Tawi-Tawi to Zamboanga del Norte. Two transport vessels are also on standby to move troops if necessary.
Major General Romaldo Bayting, deputy director of the Area Police Command-Western Mindanao (APC-WM), said 3,684 police officers from across the country have been assigned to the region and trained to serve as Special Electoral Board (SEB) members.
So far, 888 police officers have been designated as SEB members – 739 in Lanao del Sur and 149 in Basilan. APC-WM and Westmincom cover the same areas. – Rappler.com
