A Moro motorist believed to belong to a prominent clan was killed in a brazen shooting incident on the national highway in Barangay Macaguiling, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao del Norte, on Tuesday night, December 30, 2025.
The victim was identified by the Sultan Kudarat Municipal Police Station as Rotas Mastura, an adult male, married, and a resident of the same barangay.
Initial police investigation revealed that Mastura was driving home from Cotabato City aboard his black Honda XRM 125 (plate number MS 47101) when he was tailed and attacked by two armed men riding in tandem on a motorcycle. The suspects reportedly shot him multiple times at close range in a poorly lit stretch of the highway, leaving him critically wounded.
Barangay officials and responding police personnel found Mastura with at least six gunshot wounds to various parts of his body. He was rushed to a nearby medical facility, but attending physicians declared him dead on arrival.
Authorities are still determining the calibre of the weapon used and the possible motive behind the killing. Investigators are also verifying reports that Mastura belonged to a well-known Moro family in the area, raising concerns of a potential clan-related conflict or targeted attack.
The suspects immediately fled after the shooting, prompting a manhunt operation by the police.
The Sultan Kudarat Municipal Police Station urges anyone with information related to the incident to come forward as the investigation continues.
Police vowed to intensify security measures in key road sections to prevent similar violent attacks against motorists in the province.