DATU HOFFER AMPATUAN, Maguindanao del Sur — Government troops recovered one body and arrested two individuals following two separate encounters with alleged members of the DI-Hasan Group in Barangay Tuayan Mother on Saturday, May 30, as military operations continue against armed groups in the area.
According to 6th Infantry Division spokesperson Col. Ronald Suscano, the first armed encounter erupted around 6:25 a.m. in Tuayan 1 and Tuayan Mother after soldiers allegedly encountered around seven members of the DI-Hasan Group.
During subsequent clearing operations, troops recovered one body at around 8:45 a.m. Authorities later discovered and overran a temporary encampment believed to have been used by the armed group. The camp reportedly contained nine foxholes.
A second encounter reportedly broke out at around 8:00 a.m. in Sitio Bagurot. By 11:35 a.m., two individuals were apprehended by authorities and are currently undergoing verification to determine whether they are connected to the DI-Hasan Group.
At around 2:35 p.m., government forces also recovered an M14 carbine rifle while hot pursuit operations against fleeing armed men continued.
The military described the operation as part of ongoing efforts to neutralize armed groups operating in the province. However, allegations later surfaced online claiming that one of those killed was not an armed fighter but a civilian fisherman.
Family members of the slain man strongly denied accusations linking him to any armed group, saying he was merely trying to earn a living to support his family.
In social media posts, relatives identified the victim as a fisherman and appealed for justice, insisting he had no involvement in armed activities.
One of the victim’s sisters claimed that her brother was supporting seven young children through fishing and had never handled firearms. She alleged that he was mistakenly identified during the military operation.
“Hustisya para sa kuya ko,” the grieving sister wrote in a public post, claiming her brother was an innocent civilian who died while working.
Another resident from the area also shared an account online, saying several fishermen were allegedly caught in the area during the operation. According to the post, family members waited anxiously near a military detachment in Tuayan 1 while some fishermen were reportedly being accounted for by authorities.
The resident recalled seeing the victim’s wife visibly distressed and praying while searching for her missing husband, only to later learn that he had already died.
The same post alleged that the slain man was unfairly labeled as a member of an armed group despite allegedly being a civilian engaged in fishing.
As of this writing, the Armed Forces of the Philippines has yet to release an official statement addressing the allegations made by the victim’s family and residents.
No independent verification has yet been made regarding the identity of the slain individual, and authorities have not publicly disclosed further details about the recovered body or the circumstances surrounding the fatality.
Local residents and relatives of the victim are calling for a thorough investigation into the incident to determine whether proper protocols were observed during the military operation and to clarify the identity of those involved.
The military operation in Barangay Tuayan Mother remains ongoing as security forces continue pursuit operations against the remaining armed suspects in the area.