TAGUM CITY — A 43-year-old man was shot dead on the evening of All Souls’ Day, November 2, 2025, in what authorities described as a cold-blooded attack along Gante Road, Purok Masagana, Barangay Magugpo West.
Police identified the victim as Robert Wangdali, a resident of Purok Mansanitas in the same barangay. According to a report from the Tagum City Police Station, Wangdali was driving his black Honda RS motorcycle from Gante Road toward Purok Masagana when an unidentified gunman opened fire at him multiple times in front of Silawan Building around 8:00 p.m.
The victim sustained fatal gunshot wounds to the head and body, causing his instant death. Investigators recovered several spent shells of a .45 caliber pistol from the crime scene.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Frederick Deles, Tagum City Chief of Police, said investigators are now pursuing leads to identify the perpetrator and determine the motive behind the killing.
In a follow-up interview, Wangdali’s wife, Ana Marie Wangdali, admitted that her husband had struggled with illegal drug use. She said Robert had previously stopped using drugs after they got married but had recently relapsed due to personal problems.
“Even if he was using drugs again, he wasn’t selling and I never saw him have enemies. He was a good man,” Ana Marie told local media as she mourned her husband’s death.
It was later learned that Wangdali, a former employee of Barangay Magugpo West, lost his job after testing positive in a surprise drug test conducted in October.
Despite his troubled past, his wife appealed for justice, expressing hope that the assailant would be consumed by guilt and eventually surrender. She also asked for strength to raise their three children alone.
The Tagum City Police continue to investigate the incident to establish the motive and identify the gunman responsible for the deadly shooting.