BARMM chief’s convoy ambushed Macacua, region’s interim head and parliamentary bet, unharmed in attack
20 .00 IN METRO MANILA
VOL. XL • NO. 183 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES AUGUST 16, 2026
By Nash Maulana and Rex Espiritu
C
OTABATO CITY — Gunmen fired at the convoy of Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao interim Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua on Saturday, less than a month before the first-ever Bangsamoro Parliament election.
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AMBUSH.
Photo shows one of the vehicles in the convoy of Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao interim Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua thay were hit by bullets in an ambush along the national highway in Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao del Norte Saturday afternoon. (Courtesy: Tammy Macacua)
Macacua and his team were unharmed after the ambush on their armored vehicles that happened at 4:45 p.m. along the national highway in Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao del Norte. The group came from an event of the Bangsamoro Federalist Party (BFP) in Kabuntalan where Macacua was officially elected as party chairman. The convoy was able to proceed to the Bangsamoro Government Center in Cotabato City. Macacua is seeking a seat in the Bangsamoro parliament as representative of the third district of Maguindanao del Norte. Commission Elections Chairman George Garcia said he had directed the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines in BARMM “to immediately determine the perpetrators and bring them to justice.” “Whether this is election related or not, the maintenance of peace and order in the area is of utmost importance,” he said. “No stone should be left untouched just to ensure that the trust and confidence of the people will remain,” Garcia added. The Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) strongly condemned the attack. “We are relieved that Chief Minister Macacua and members of his delegation are safe. We call on everyone to remain calm, refrain from speculation or assigning responsibility, and allow the proper authorities to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation. Those responsible must be held accountable in accordance with the law,” OPAPRU Secretary Mel Sarmiento said. Turn to A4
BARMM Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua pumps his fist during the BFP event, hours before the ambush yesterday afternoon. Macacua’s FB page
Expect higher Aug. power bills — NGCP By Ratziel San Juan THE National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) said power consumers of private distribution utilities and electric cooperatives could see higher transmission rates reflected in their August electricity bills due to a sharp increase in ancillary service (AS) rates. AS rates, which are pass-through costs for power supplied by power generators that provide ancillary services during supply-demand imbalance, increased by 30.85 percent from P0.7941/kWh in June to P1.0391/kWh in the July billing period, NGCP said. NGCP clarified, however, that it “does not earn from AS and does not benefit from any change in AS prices as these are remitted directly to generation compaTurn to A4
Ping flags questionable 2027 budget lump sums By Joel E. Zurbano and Maricel V. Cruz SENATOR Panfilo Lacson on Saturday flagged questionable lump sum appropriations for infrastructure projects in the proposed P7.2-trillion national budget for 2027. Lacson said he plans to seek clarification from concerned government officials and may formally
address the matter during the upcoming Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) briefing on August 27. “We spotted lump sum appropriations that we don’t think should be lump sum. When we say lump sum appropriations, an aggregate amount is appropriated for a project, activity or program (PAP), or group of projects without de-
tailing the breakdown of the cost of each PAP,” he said. “We will seek clarification on the details of these lump sum appropriations. Lump sum appropriations are allowed for calamity funds because we cannot predict when calamities occur. But it becomes questionable if it’s for infrastrucTurn to A4
Solon sees November conclusion of VP impeachment trial By Maricel V. Cruz and Joel E. Zurbano THE impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte could be wrapped up by November, Manila Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr. said, adding that the prosecution has
already presented enough evidence to warrant her conviction and removal from office. Speaking at the Saturday News Forum in Quezon City, Abante said the evidence presented by the House prosecution team—particularly on the fourth Article of Impeachment
(grave threats and inciting to sedition) —was already strong enough for the Senate, sitting as an impeachment court, to convict Duterte. “I think that what the prosecution team has presented is enough to impeach the Vice President. The evidence on the grave threats charge
is already enough. That is betrayal of public trust,” Abante said. Article 4 charges Duterte with grave threats and inciting to sedition in connection with the assassination threats she made on Nov. 23, 2024 against President Ferdinand Marcos Turn to A4
Marcos hopes to leave legacy of restored public trust in gov’t By Charles Dantes PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. expressed hope that restoring public trust in government and reviving a culture of nation-building would be part of his legacy when his term ends in 2028. With less than two years remaining in his term, the President was initially wary of discussing his legacy during a luncheon organized by the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines, but said he hopes to leave behind a government that listens to citizens, works closely with local governments and pursues long-term na-
tional development. “I’m wary about legacy. Legacy is when you die. I’m not about to die anytime soon, despite reports to the contrary,” he said in jest. “I just hope we put the faith of the people back in the government. And that we now have a government that people can depend on, people can trust, and that people can talk to,” he said. The chief executive said he envisions a government that creates more jobs, increases livelihood, brings development, and tries to be part of the global economy. Turn to A4
QUIRKY CHAMPION. Jennie Leu, a Pug rescue, celebrates with its owner after winning the World’s Ugliest Dog Contest at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds in Santa Rosa, California, on August 14, 2026. AFP
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