Three people were reported dead while two others were injured in an encounter involving police officers, an armed group, and the convoy of a mayoralty aspirant in Barangay Sangbay Big, Hadji Muhtamad, Basilan dawn on election day, May 12, 2025.

In a report by JP Soriano of GMA Integrated News, the Basilan Police Provincial Office said that police officers were on maritime patrol when they intercepted a motorized pump boat carrying eight people.

The authorities directed the group to stop, but the armed group allegedly continued to move forward while firing shots at police officers, prompting the operating team to return fire.

No casualty was reported on the government side.

The wife of the mayoralty aspirant denied that her husband’s group was armed, saying they were merely heading to the island to cast their votes.

She added that the incident may have been an ambush carried out by other armed group, not by the police.

The mayoralty aspirant survived and is now at his house in Barangay Sangbay Big.