Gunman in rocket attack on BARMM mayor’s convoy arrested

Upgrade to High-Speed Internet for only ₱1499/month!

Enjoy up to 100 Mbps fiber broadband, perfect for browsing, streaming, and gaming.

Visit Suniway.ph to learn

October 25, 2026 | 4:16pm

COTABATO CITY — Policemen have arrested one of the alleged perpetrators of the January 25 ambush of the mayor in Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao del Sur, in which gunment fired rifles and a B40 anti-tank rocket at his vehicle, wounding him and four companions.

The suspect, Toraipe Lusod, also known by the alias Aripi Adam, was arrested on Saturday, October 24, by personnel from various units of the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Barangay Meta, Datu Unsay, Maguindanao del Sur. Police acted on tips from residents who reported his presence in the area.

Police Captain Steffie Salanguit, PRO-BAR spokesperson, told reporters on Sunday that Lusod surrendered peacefully after realizing that police officers had surrounded his hideout in a secluded part of Barangay Meta and informed him that several arrest warrants had been issued against him.

Police officers from the Datu Unsay Municipal Police Station and the Maguindanao del Sur Provincial Police Office, who led the operation, seized a 5.56 M4 assault rifle from Lusod. The firearm was reportedly among those used in the January 25 ambush of Shariff Aguak Mayor Akmad Ampatuan Sr. and his companions in the town center.

Ampatuan was riding in his bullet-proof sports utility vehicle with four security escorts when gunmen armed with assault rifles and B40 rocket launchers attacked them in Shariff Aguak, less than five kilometers away from Barangay Meta in Datu Unsay, where Lusod was arrested on Saturday.

Policemen said Lusod was subject of arrest warrants issued by different regional courts over his alleged involvement in the attack.

Ampatuan and his four companions sustained minor injuries in the rocket blast, which damaged their vehicle.

Four of the alleged ambushers who fled the scene were later killed in a shootout with soldiers. The troops had initially tried to stop their speeding vehicle but engaged the occupants after they allegedly opened fire, leaving all four dead. 

Aside from Lusod, 11 other individuals, including a local executive in Datu Unsay, are wanted for their alleged roles in planning and carrying out the ambush of Ampatuan and his security escorts eight months ago. 

The suspects fled after after learning that different courts had issued arrest warrants against them.  Police and military personnel are now conducting a joint manhunt to locate and arrest them.