COTABATO CITY: In a violent outbreak in Cotabato City, a field commander of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) was killed in a broad daylight attack, while a separate grenade incident targeted a political office, raising tensions amid political uncertainties in the region.According to Philippines News Agency, Capt. Teofisto Ferrer, the city police Station 2 commander, reported that Norodin Mama, an MILF deputy commander and resident of Barangay Semba, Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao del Sur, was fatally shot by unidentified gunmen on a motorbike. The attack occurred around noon Sunday while Mama was driving along the Cotabato East Diversion Road. The assailants, coming from the opposite direction, opened fire without provocation, hitting Mama and his unidentified companion, who is currently hospitalized with bullet wounds.Investigators found 9mm pistol shells at the scene but have yet to determine the motive behind the assassination.In a possibly related incident, a fragmentation grenade was lobbed in front of the office of Bangsamoro Member of Parliament Dr. Kadil Sinolinding Jr. late Saturday night. The attack, which did not result in any injuries, took place outside Sinolinding's office in the Zenaida Subdivision, Barangay Rosary Heights. Dr. Sinolinding, who is also the head of the Ministry of Health in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), suggested that the attack might be connected to his work or political activities. He is rumored to be considering a run for a parliamentary seat in the upcoming BARMM elections scheduled for May 2025.These incidents have occurred against the backdrop of the filing of certificates of candidacy, set from November 4 to 9, hinting at a potentially volatile pre-election period.