MATALAM, Cotabato — One of the suspects behind the New Year’s Eve grenade attack that wounded at least 22 people in Barangay Dalapitan, Matalam, was killed during a hot pursuit operation late Thursday night, January 1, 2026, authorities confirmed.
The Philippine National Police (PNP) identified the slain suspect as Hammad Ansa, also known as Canunay Ansa, around 40 years old, married, unemployed, and a resident of Purok 6, Barangay Kilada, Matalam.
According to a sketchy report from the Matalam Municipal Police Station (MPS), a joint operation was launched at around 8:00 p.m. by the Matalam police as the lead unit, with support from the 1st Cotabato Provincial Mobile Force Company, to arrest Ansa in connection with the grenade blast that marred New Year celebrations.
Police said the suspect allegedly resisted arrest, drew a firearm, and fired indiscriminately at operatives, prompting law enforcers to return fire. Ansa sustained gunshot wounds and was rushed by the Matalam Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) to a hospital in Poblacion, Matalam, but was declared dead on arrival.
Recovered from the suspect were a .45 caliber pistol, four fired cartridge cases of .45 caliber, and three fired cartridge cases from an M16 rifle, police said.
Drug Syndicate, Possible Diversion
Earlier, Police Lieutenant Colonel Arniel C. Melocotones, chief of the Matalam Police Station, said investigators are looking into the possibility that a drug syndicate is behind the grenade attack, describing it as a potential diversionary tactic to distract authorities from the town’s intensified anti-illegal drugs campaign.
In a separate interview, Police Brigadier General Arnold Ardiente confirmed that Ansa was one of the suspects in the grenade attack and said the suspect also fired at police during an operation at his residence.
Gen. Ardiente added that investigators are also examining a possible personal grudge as a motive for the grenade throwing, even as police continue to verify links to organized criminal activity.
New Year Celebration Turned Nightmare
The killing of the suspect is directly linked to the January 1, 2026 grenade blast that shattered New Year festivities in Barangay Dalapitan, when a hand grenade was hurled at residents gathered near the national highway in Purok Ipil-Ipil shortly after midnight.
Witnesses told police that two men riding a black motorcycle slowed down near the crowd before throwing the grenade and fleeing into the darkness. The explosion injured at least 22 people, many of them children, who were rushed to nearby hospitals, including the Mlang District Hospital, for treatment of shrapnel wounds.
Some of the injured were identified as Ronald Alejo, Cedric Ron Alejo, Sunny Santillan, Marco Alejo, and Mark Ethan Pejero, while authorities continue to verify the identities of the remaining victims.
Officials Condemn Attack, Security Tightened
Cotabato Governor Emmylou “Lala” Taliño-Mendoza strongly condemned the attack, calling it a cowardly act against innocent civilians celebrating the New Year. She ordered law enforcement agencies to ensure the swift arrest of all those involved and pledged medical and financial assistance to the victims.
The PNP, along with military intelligence units under the 602nd Infantry Brigade, has intensified manhunt and follow-up operations against remaining suspects. Flash alarms, dragnet operations, and forensic examinations by Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) teams and Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) have been conducted.
Authorities noted that this was not the first grenade-related incident in Matalam. On New Year’s Eve of 2025, a separate grenade attack in Barangay Marbel left one person dead and five others injured.
As investigations continue and security is heightened across the town, residents remain shaken, calling for justice and lasting peace after a violent start to 2026 underscored the fragility of safety even in moments meant for celebration.