COTABATO CITY – Tension gripped Barangay Tamontaka 3 on Sunday morning, May 11, after a series of gunshots rang out in the area around 10:00 a.m., just a day before the scheduled elections.
According to reports, personnel from the Philippine National Police (PNP) and military forces immediately responded to the scene following information that several individuals had allegedly fired weapons in the area. Seven individuals were arrested, including two minors and an elderly man.
The arrested individuals, however, claimed they were not involved in the gunfire. According to their account, they were merely loitering in the area when unknown men suddenly appeared and began shooting. In a state of panic, they were allegedly held at gunpoint, forced to lie face down in a small hut, and had no chance to flee.
Moments later, police arrived and arrested the seven individuals—those who had been pinned down—despite their insistence that they were not the shooters.
A separate report noted that five of the arrested individuals were allegedly from Pikit, Cotabato, and were reportedly being paid ₱50,000 each by a political party running in Cotabato City. The suspects are now under the custody of the Peace Mechanism of the GPH-MILF CCCH-AHJAG.
The sound of repeated gunshots caused panic among residents, prompting many to flee their homes out of fear of being caught in crossfire or hit by stray bullets.
Authorities are continuing their investigation to verify the circumstances of the incident and identify those truly responsible for the gunfire.