In a shocking incident in Cotabato City, a member of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) was fatally shot, and four others, including two MILF commanders, were injured in an ambush on Wednesday afternoon. The attack took place at the intersection of Sinsuat and Gov. Gutierrez Avenues, as reported by Capt. Teofisto Ferrer Jr., the chief of city police station 2. The deceased was identified as Ahma Utto, a 25-year-old resident of Barangay Barurao, Sultan sa Barongis, Maguindanao del Sur. The ambush is believed to stem from a ‘rido’ or family feud originating in Sultan sa Barongis. Among the injured were MILF field commanders Marathi Felmin and Jaypee Emran, along with Alladin Utto and Tahir Tega Sam, a 61-year-old from Cotabato City. Five other MILF members managed to escape the attack unscathed. The assailant, identified as 33-year-old Kanandok Mukadas from Sultan sa Barongis, fled the scene on a motorbike with an accomplice. The victims were en route back to Sultan sa Barongis after a visit to the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao compound when the attack occurred. In response, Cotabato City Mayor Bruce Matabalao has launched an investigation into the absence of police at the intersection during the ambush, warning that negligence would not be tolerated.
