Convoy of BARMM Interim Chief Minister Fired On, Raising Tensions Ahead of First Parliamentary Election

On the afternoon of August 15, the convoy of Bangsamoro Autonomous Government Interim Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua was fired on by armed men in Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao del Norte. Three vehicles were hit, but no one was hurt, including the chief minister.

Macacua was traveling from a political party rally. The Commission on Elections instructed the police and the armed forces to conduct a thorough investigation, but a connection to the election and the motive for the attack have not yet been confirmed.

With BARMM’s first parliamentary election just ahead on September 14, an attack on the head of the regional government bears directly on the peace process and the credibility of the election. What matters is whether the chain of political violence can be prevented and the perpetrators identified quickly.