Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao del Sur – The chairman of Barangay Malingao, Shariff Aguak, is calling for urgent intervention from military and police authorities after a barangay official and his child were abducted by armed men on the afternoon of May 28, 2025.
Barangay Chairman Muhidin Simpal personally sought assistance from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the Philippine National Police (PNP), and the leadership of both the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF). He appealed for greater attention to the recurring security issues in his community.
According to Simpal, the victim, Barangay Councilor Esmael Lindungan Manap, and his child were taken by unidentified armed individuals. The child was eventually released, and the father was freed later that evening at around 9:00 p.m., following efforts by the MILF Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH), AFP, and local officials.
“This is exactly what I feared when the PNP and military units were pulled out of our barangay,” Simpal lamented, adding that most residents have since evacuated due to escalating tension and fear of being caught in possible armed conflict.
Shariff Aguak Mayor Datu Akmad “Mitra” Ampatuan echoed the appeal, urging national law enforcement and military agencies to restore peace and order in Barangay Malingao. He confirmed that since the withdrawal of deployed forces, armed groups have resumed their presence and attacks in the area.
Mayor Ampatuan also reported that armed men returned to the barangay again before noon on May 29, raising further alarm among the remaining residents.
This latest incident is only one in a series of troubling events in Barangay Malingao. On March 6, several families were forced to flee their homes after reports of armed men spotted in the area. A video posted by Municipal Councilor Hadji Oping Ampatuan showed residents evacuating on motorcycles and trucks.
Just four days later, on March 10, armed groups allegedly burned down ten houses, the Barangay Hall, and the Day Care Center in Sitio Mungkas. The attack was strongly condemned by the local government. A day after the arson, March 11, Brigade Commander Gen. Edgar Catu and Mayor Ampatuan visited the area to assess the damage and assure residents of ongoing military and police monitoring.
Authorities confirmed that the violence on March 10 followed a firefight between two rival groups that lasted over four hours, forcing a wave of civilian displacement.
As tensions rise again, local leaders and residents of Barangay Malingao hope for swift and sustained security operations to prevent further violence and to allow displaced families to return safely to their homes.