Vice President Sara Duterte has described the ambush attempt on the convoy of Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao del Sur Mayor Akmad Ampatuan on Sunday morning as a grave threat to peace and order.
The vice president also warned that the use of high-powered weapons by civilians signals a dangerous security lapse that must not be ignored.
In an interview in The Hague, Duterte said the attack was deeply alarming, noting that a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) was fired in broad daylight, an act she said reflects a serious deterioration of public safety, particularly in Mindanao.
“We strongly, I strongly condemn these acts, especially that I come from Mindanao. Dahil yung mga ganito na mga pangyayari, nagpapakita ng degradation ng peace and order. Hindi siya… Napapansin ko sa mga awtoridad parang life goes on normal lang na meron kang nakikitang RPG sa gitna ng daan in broad daylight,” she said.
The ambush took place Sunday morning at around 6:00 a.m. as Ampatuan was on his way home.
Police said armed men riding a minivan fired an RPG at the mayor’s convoy at the corner of Maguindanao Street in Barangay Mother Poblacion.
The police also said that the mayor was unharmed.
Authorities reported that three suspects were killed during a joint police and military hot pursuit operation conducted just hours after the attack.
“Hindi yan normal at hindi yan dapat pinapalampas, dapat merong malalim na imbestigasyon. Kahit pa man sabihin natin na namatay yung mga nag-ambush, dapat merong malalim na investigasyon. Paano nangyari ito at paano nagkakaroon ng RPG ang mga siguro sabihin na natin, sibilyan. Kasi hindi naman talaga yun mga uniformed personnel,” she said.
She stressed that such incidents undermine peace and order and demand a thorough and uncompromising investigation.
Duterte emphasized that authorities must pursue an in-depth probe even though the suspected attackers were killed, saying accountability does not end with a hot pursuit operation.
She raised concern over how civilians were able to obtain a military-grade weapon, pointing out that the attackers were not uniformed personnel.
The vice president underscored the need for accountability and stronger security measures, warning that incidents involving heavy weaponry pose a serious risk to public safety and threaten the stability of peace and order in Mindanao.
