The mayor of Shariff Aguak, a municipality in the province of Maguindanao del Sur, Philippines, has narrowly escaped an assassination attempt after gunmen fired a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) at his convoy in broad daylight.
As per the details, the attack took place at around 6:20 am on Sunday, with CCTV footage showing suspects firing a rocket launcher at Mayor Akmad Mitra Ampatuan’s bulletproof black SUV near a petrol station. The mayor was inside the armoured vehicle at the time of the ambush.
According to Anwar Kuit Emblawa, the mayor’s executive secretary, the SUV absorbed the impact of the blast, preventing the mayor from getting hurt. “Had the vehicle not been armoured, the mayor would be dead,” Emblawa said in an interview. “By God’s grace, he’s unscathed, not a scratch.”
The mayor’s backup vehicle, a pickup truck, was also hit by bullets during the attack. Two security escorts travelling with the convoy sustained injuries. Emblawa said the wounds were non-life-threatening and confirmed that both guards were being treated at the Bangsamoro Regional and Medical Center in Datu Hoffer.
Initial reports said the assailants carried out the attack from a white minivan before fleeing the area. The incident occurred in a populated area during daylight hours, with vendors and bystanders present near the highway.
“It happened in full view… parked right by the highway with vendors around,” Emblawa said, adding that investigators were expected to identify suspects quickly due to the presence of CCTV footage and witnesses. When asked about a possible motive, he said: “That’s one of the risks politicians face.”
The broad daylight attack prompted a pursuit operation by a joint police and military team. According to the Philippine News Agency, three alleged ambushers were later killed during the chase. Authorities said high-powered firearms were recovered from the suspects’ vehicle.
Ampatuan has survived multiple attempts on his life, with reported attacks in 2010, 2014 and 2019. He sustained injuries in two of the earlier incidents, after which his vehicle was upgraded with armour.
Shariff Aguak, formerly known as Maganoy, is a municipality in the province of Maguindanao del Sur and forms part of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. It was renamed in 1996 and has a population of 33,982, according to the 2020 census.