Council candidate fatally shot dead in Maguindanao

COTABATO CITY – The police in Maguindanao province will establish a Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) following the tragic killing of a candidate for municipal councilor in the upcoming 2025 elections, confirmed by the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

The victim, identified as Toto Gogo Kensa, 45, was riding a motorcycle with his wife, Bai Norhaiya, from Shariff Aguak town back to Labu-Labu village when assailants, using unknown firearms, ambushed them on the national highway around 6 p.m. this past Saturday.

Kensa, an incumbent barangay kagawad of Labu Labu 2 in Datu Hoffer, was confirmed by Mayor Bai Bong Ampatuan.

Hamra Asya Macapeges, the election officer of Datu Hoffer, verified that Kensa had submitted his certificate of candidacy for the municipal councilor position under the Lakas- CMD (Lakas_ Christian-Muslim Democrats) party.

Datu Hoffer Municipal Police Station Chief, PLT. Albert Pansoy, announced that the Philippine National Police (PNP) would form a Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) to conduct a thorough investigation into the killing.

Pansoy stressed the importance of the investigation, highlighting “Kensa’s dual role as both a candidate in the upcoming elections and an elected barangay official.”

During the police inquiry, the wife of the victim mentioned that her husband felt safe and had not received any threats from anyone.

The Comelec has been closely monitoring the BARMM region in past and upcoming elections due to the high number of politically-related violent incidents in the area.

The Council for Climate and Conflict Action Asia (CCAA), a local peace-building organization focusing on the connections between conflict and climate risks, reported an increase in violence from 2021 onwards in a release from August this year.

The organization consistently noted a surge in violent incidents in BARMM, especially during election periods and in regions with unresolved land disputes.

CCAA has criticized the government for its inaction in addressing the root causes of violence, resulting in a deteriorating security environment.

The group has been urging the government to take more concrete steps to prevent and combat violence in BARMM. They have emphasized the importance of addressing the underlying factors contributing to violence, such as poverty, inequality, and lack of opportunities.