BARMM LTO official and MILF leader shot dead in Cotabato Province

DAVAO CITY – A Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) officer and Bangsamoro Land Transportation Office (LTO) official was gunned down in an ambush by armed men in Pikit, Cotabato on Friday, February 9.

The victim, Johnson Endil, was a key figure in the MILF and served as the Liguasan area secretary of the MILF as well as the municipal chief of the Bangsamoro LTO in Pikit, Cotabato.

 According to a report from the Cotabato Provincial Police Office and Bangsamoro regional officials, Endil was cleaning his vehicle outside their compound in Sitio Amanah, Pikit, when gunmen approached and shot him multiple times, killing him instantly.

The attackers immediately fled the scene, leaving authorities scrambling to determine the motive and suspects behind the killing.

BARMM Transportation and Communications Minister Paisalin Pangandaman Tago, along with directors of various Bangsamoro agencies, strongly condemned the brutal murder of Endil.

Tago emphasized that Endil played a crucial role in resolving violent clan feuds (rido) in Pikit and other towns in Cotabato, working closely with MILF leaders, police, and the military to mediate local conflicts.

He has since urged Brig. Gen. Romeo Macapaz, director of the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (PRO-BAR), and Region 12 Police Office chief Brig. Gen. Arnold Ardiente to expedite the investigation and identify the assailants so they can be held accountable.

Authorities are now conducting follow-up operations to determine whether the attack was politically motivated, linked to an ongoing rido, or part of a larger security threat in the region.