Sultan Mastura, Maguindanao del Norte, Philippines - A village councilor in Maguindanao del Norte was fatally ambushed on Monday afternoon in Sultan Mastura municipality, according to police reports.
According to Philippines News Agency, The victim was identified as Anwar Mamukan, 48, from Barangay Balut, who had recently been reelected. He sustained six gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene. Capt. Elmar Elarcosa, the chief of Sultan Mastura municipal police station, reported that Mamukan was driving his vehicle when two individuals on a motorcycle opened fire on him along the crossroads in Barangay Balut and Sec. Narciso Ramos Highway. Empty shells from a .45-caliber pistol were found at the crime scene by responding officers. This incident is part of a concerning trend in the province, with at least five village officials having been killed since the village and youth polls on October 30.