PNP urges calm, vigilance after Maguindanao del Sur explosion damages police vehicle

MANILA — No police personnel were injured in a reported roadside explosion in Rajah Buayan, Maguindanao del Sur on Wednesday, the Philippine National Police said, adding it was "not alarming and is under control."

Citing initial reports from municipal police, Police Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said a police mobile unit sustained minor damage but that "all personnel are safe and accounted for."

The PNP chief said police have secured the area and is coordination with the Army's 34th Infantry Battalion.

"[O]ur Post-Explosion and Canine Unit is conducting a thorough investigation to determine the nature and source of the explosion," Nartatez also said.

He added police have put up more checkpoints and have increased patrols in the area to prevent further incidents.

"The PNP urges the public to remain calm and vigilant. At this time, there is no indication of a wider threat, and authorities are on top of the situation," he said.

The explosion comes after an ambush in Shariff Aguak, a town about an hour away from Rajah Buayan, last Sunday. The attack left five police personnel dead and three injured.

PNP vows justice for slain, wounded cops in Shariff Aguak ambush

NGO Climate Conflict Action, in a release on the ambush, said it had already monitored 13 violent attacks against security forces in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao so far in 2026.

It said it has also monitored 15 "violent incidents involving [Moro Islamic Liberation Front]-affiliated actors and other armed groups in the region." 

CCA also called the ambush "a shameful stain on the Bangsamoro peace process and a stark reminder of the utter failures of the decommissioning and normalization aspects of the political settlement."