SULTAN KUDARAT, Maguindanao del Norte — Three members of a family were killed while an 11-year-old boy was wounded in a ruthless ambush in Barangay Nalinan at noon on Monday, September 1, 2025 — an attack that comes in blatant defiance of the election gun ban now in effect across the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
The fatalities were identified as Ibrahim Payapat, who died instantly at the scene; his wife, 32-year-old Zenaida Ango Kusain; and their daughter, 16-year-old Aisa Kusain Payapat. Both Zenaida and Aisa were rushed to the Cotabato Sanitarium and General Hospital but were declared dead on arrival.
Surviving the attack was 11-year-old Makmak, who sustained gunshot wounds and is undergoing treatment at the same hospital.
Police reports said the family was riding a motorcycle with a sidecar (payong-payong) when gunmen suddenly sprayed them with bullets at around 12:30 p.m. The attackers immediately fled toward a nearby marshland.
Authorities are investigating the motive, but initial findings confirmed that the victims were related and had no chance to defend themselves from the unprovoked assault.
Local leaders and residents have condemned the attack as a “cowardly and senseless act of violence,” warning that such incidents threaten the fragile peace and security in Maguindanao del Norte.
The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) and law enforcement authorities reminded the public that the gun ban is in effect in BARMM as part of security measures for the upcoming Bangsamoro parliamentary elections. The ambush, they stressed, is not only a grave crime but also a flagrant violation of election rules designed to prevent bloodshed during the campaign season.
While investigations continue, authorities said the attack may be linked to rido, or clan feud, which has long fueled cycles of violence in parts of Mindanao.