SAN FRANCISCO, Agusan del Sur — A grieving father broke down in tears after learning that his son was brutally shot dead while resting inside a parked vehicle along a national highway in Barangay Pasta early morning on March 18, 2026.
The victim, identified as Reneboy Kahiles Plaza, also known by aliases “Reneboy” and “Long-Long,” was a driver and resident of Purok 1, Barangay Patrocinio in the municipality of Santa Josefa, Agusan del Sur. He was declared dead on the spot after sustaining a fatal gunshot wound to the back of the head.
Initial police investigation revealed that Plaza had just come from a delivery trip of lemons from Nasipit, Agusan del Norte, together with a companion. Due to exhaustion, the two decided to pull over and rest at around 11:00 p.m., parking their vehicle—a Bongo truck bearing plate number KAS 4601—along the roadside in Purok 4-A, Barangay Pasta.
At approximately 5:00 to 5:30 a.m., while the victim was still asleep inside the vehicle, a lone gunman arrived riding a single motorcycle. Without warning or provocation, the suspect stopped, approached the parked vehicle, and opened fire, striking Plaza in the head and killing him instantly.
The victim’s companion, who survived the attack, recounted hearing successive gunshots that jolted him awake. Upon checking, he found Plaza already slumped and lifeless inside the vehicle.
The assailant immediately fled the scene on board the motorcycle, heading toward the town proper of San Francisco. Authorities recovered several empty shell casings at the crime scene, believed to have come from a .45 caliber firearm.
Police from the San Francisco Municipal Police Station have launched a follow-up investigation to identify and apprehend the suspect, as well as determine the motive behind the killing. As of this writing, no suspects have been arrested.
The victim’s remains were brought to a local funeral home for proper disposition.
Meanwhile, the family and relatives of Plaza are demanding justice, expressing anguish over the senseless killing of a man they described as hardworking and kind.
“Justice!” a relative wrote in an emotional social media post. “It is difficult to accept that a person who worked honestly was taken away by heartless individuals. He never harmed anyone—he only strived to live decently for his future and for the people he loved.”
The post further lamented the loss not only of a life, but of dreams, hopes, and plans left unfulfilled, leaving behind a grieving family and friends searching for answers.
Authorities continue to urge anyone with information that could help in the investigation to come forward.