CARMEN, COTABATO – A laborer was shot dead in broad daylight after being approached and gunned down by an unidentified assailant in Sitio Tawan-tawan, Purok 13, Barangay Poblacion, Carmen, Cotabato, around 1:00 p.m. on October 16, 2025.
The victim was identified as Benjie Maningged, of legal age, a resident of Purok 14, Manubuan Village, Poblacion Carmen.
According to the initial police investigation, Maningged was sitting on his motorcycle when the suspect suddenly arrived and shot him in the head using a caliber .45 pistol. Police recovered an empty shell believed to have come from the firearm used in the crime.
Responding police officers led by PEMS Eliazar Estrellas, together with the MDRRMO ambulance team, immediately rushed the victim to Carmen Hospital, but he was declared dead on arrival by the attending physician.
The suspect fled in an unknown direction after the attack.
The Carmen Municipal Police Station has launched a hot pursuit operation to capture the perpetrator, setting up checkpoints at possible exit points in the municipality. Authorities are also reviewing CCTV footage from nearby areas to help identify the fleeing suspect.
The motive for the killing remains under investigation. Meanwhile, the victim’s family is crying for justice over the brutal slaying of their loved one.