COTABATO CITY — A 25-year-old driver is fighting for his life after he was shot multiple times in a brazen early-morning ambush in Purok Emba, Barangay Rosary Heights 7, Cotabato City on Thursday, December 18, 2025.
Police identified the victim as Fahad Sabpa Lumawan, single, a Town Ace driver and resident of the area. According to the Cotabato City Police Office (CCPO) Station 2, the shooting occurred at around 1:00 to 2:00 a.m. while Lumawan was on his way home from a trip when a suspect suddenly appeared and opened fire without warning.
Lumawan sustained gunshot wounds to his right chest, right shoulder, and thigh. He was rushed to the Cotabato Regional and Medical Center (CRMC), where he remains under close medical observation.
Police Station 2 Deputy Commander PCapt. Al-Grahammad Pompong said investigators have already identified the suspect, a neighbor of the victim, known by the alias “Tokan Diocolano,” 24, unemployed and also a resident of the same barangay. The suspect fled the scene immediately after the attack and remains at large.
Personnel from the Regional Forensic Unit–BARMM recovered 14 fired cartridge cases at the crime scene, believed to have come from a caliber .40 pistol. The recovered evidence will undergo ballistic examination to support the ongoing investigation.
Authorities said they are looking into personal grudge and possible illegal drug involvement as the motive behind the shooting. A hot pursuit operation was immediately launched but failed to apprehend the suspect.
Police have intensified follow-up operations and urged the public to cooperate by providing any information that could lead to the suspect’s arrest.
“This kind of violence will not be tolerated. We are exerting all efforts to bring the suspect to justice,” police said.
The CCPO assured residents that additional patrols and security measures have been deployed in the area to prevent further incidents as the investigation continues.