BARMM town exec slain as election period starts

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July 18, 2026 | 12:00am

COTABATO CITY, Philippines — A municipal councilor in Cotabato was killed in an ambush in Midsayap town on Thursday.

The killing occurred on  the first day of the implementation of a gun ban imposed by the Commission on Elections for the upcoming Bangsamoro electoral exercise.

Nasser Dalandang, a member of the Sangguniang Bayan of Kadayangan, was declared dead on arrival in a hospital. He was known for his involvement in peace-building efforts in his community.

Dalandang was driving in Barangay Salunayan when two gunmen waylaid him.

Relatives expressed belief that the killers are also residents of Kadayangan, and that the killing was job-related.

Kadayangan belongs to the Special Geographic Area in Cotabato that is under the administrative jurisdiction of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

The BARMM will hold its first parliamentary election on Sept. 14.