BULDON, Maguindanao del Norte — A police operation to serve an arrest warrant against a former barangay chairman in Barangay Piers turned deadly after authorities and suspects allegedly exchanged gunfire before dawn on May 18, leaving the ex-village official and his 13-year-old grandson dead.
The operation was led by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) Cotabato City Field Unit under the command of PLTCOL Eugene A. Balugo, deputy regional chief, together with personnel from CIDG RSOT, CIDG Maguindanao Provincial Field Unit, RIU 15-CIT Cotabato, Marine Battalion Landing Team 2, RMFB 14-A, and the Buldon Municipal Police Station.
According to CIDG, the target of the operation was former barangay chairman Odin Abdul Ayunan, who was listed in the E-Warrant System as the No. 2 Municipal Most Wanted Person of Buldon Municipal Police Station. Authorities said Ayunan and his son were facing charges for arson under Criminal Case No. 2025-16522, with a warrant of arrest issued by RTC Branch 13 in Cotabato City on July 29, 2025. The warrant reportedly carried no recommended bail.
Police said the operation escalated into an armed encounter after the suspects allegedly resisted arrest and opened fire at the combined operatives. During the firefight, Ayunan and his minor grandson, identified in reports as Saidamin “Bibitok” Mahid, 13, were killed.
Authorities also reported the recovery of two M16 rifles, a grenade launcher, ammunition, and other war materiel from the scene.
PLTCOL Niño Lope M. Briones, acting regional chief of CIDG, commended the operating teams for what he described as the successful implementation of the warrant operation and reiterated the agency’s commitment to pursuing wanted persons and illegal firearms.
“This achievement highlights CIDG’s unwavering dedication to locating wanted individuals, combating illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, and ensuring justice is served,” the CIDG statement said.
However, the operation has drawn questions and allegations from the family of the slain former barangay chairman, who claimed that authorities failed to follow proper procedures during the raid.
Saada Odin, daughter of Ayunan, publicly appealed for justice and an impartial investigation into the incident. She alleged that operatives from the CIDG and Marines forcibly entered their residence at around 5 a.m. and did not properly present the warrant before the shooting erupted.
According to Saada, she attempted to ask for a copy of the warrant and record the operation using her cellphone, but claimed she was pushed aside and her phone was taken by authorities. She also alleged that smoke was released inside their house during the operation, worsening panic among those inside.
She further disputed police claims that her father and brother resisted arrest, insisting that they did not fight back. She also questioned how the 13-year-old victim could have allegedly handled firearms.
“My father and brother did not resist. The shooting happened suddenly,” she said in her statement, while calling for a thorough probe into the deaths.
Saada also linked the incident to a long-running family conflict that reportedly began in March 2024 over a disputed motorcycle exchange that later escalated into violent retaliatory attacks and multiple killings involving both sides.
She said several criminal complaints, including the arson case, were eventually filed against their family, leading to the issuance of arrest warrants.
The family claimed that several individuals were either killed or wounded during the broader conflict, while one of Ayunan’s sons reportedly survived the latest operation but sustained injuries and is now under government custody.
Local authorities have since coordinated with village and municipal officials to prevent retaliatory violence and maintain peace in the area amid heightened tensions following the deadly operation.
As of this writing, no independent investigation findings have yet been released regarding the conduct of the warrant operation or the circumstances surrounding the death of the minor.