DOJ prosecutors seek raps vs Basilan mayor over 2025 poll attack

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August 7, 2026 | 5:46pm

COTABATO CITY, Philippines — State prosecutors in the Bangsamoro region had recommended the filing of criminal cases against a mayor in Basilan and several others for their alleged involvement in a deadly election-related gun attack hours before the May 12, 2025 polling day.

Radio reports on Friday, August 7, stated that the resolution of the Regional Prosecution Office 14 mentioned Arsina Kahing Nanoh, mayor of Hadji Muhtamad, her husband Nadz Nanoh, and relatives Walihiul Allama, Hadji Rahim Kahim, Lucman Kahim, Tudy Bayro, Sing Hassan and several others, tagged only as “john does,” as respondents to the three counts of murder, two counts of frustrated murder and attempted murder that prosecutors are to file in a court.

The RPO 14 of the Department of Justice covers the five provinces in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, Maguindanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, Basilan and Tawi-Tawi, and the cities of Lamitan, Marawi and Cotabato, where the BARMM regional capitol is located.

Copies of the RPO 14's resolution pertaining to its case buildup against Nano, one of the 11 municipal mayors in Basilan, and several others, were obtained on Wednesday by reporters from officials of the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Camp SK Pendatun in Parang, Maguindanao del Norte and the military’s Western Mindanao Command based in Zamboanga City.

The resolution, dated July 2, 2026, was signed by four officials of RPO 14.

Regional police officials said the case that the BARMM regional prosecutors have recommended for filing in court against the respondents is related to the offshore attack before dawn on May 12 last year in the sea close to the beachfront Barangay Sangbay Big in Hadji Muhtamad by gunmen riding speedboats, allegedly owned by the mayor, of supporters and poll watchers of then mayoral candidate Hadji Jamar Abdullah Mansul. 

The attack left three passengers of the pumpboat, Ben Bakil, Murasidol Abdurahman and Samir Jamiri Allil dead and two others, Habir Alih and Saldi Alih, wounded.

Mansul was defeated by Nanoh in the 2025 mayoral race in Hadji Muhtamad.

Regional Prosecutors had stated that while Nanoh, then seeking reelection, was not at the scene, it is assumed that she was part of the conspiracy to harm the victims owing to his alleged ownership of the speedboats used in the atrocity and her close relationship with its alleged perpetrators.

Reporters in BARMM provinces and cities tried, but failed to reach the mayor for comment.