ALICIA, Zamboanga Sibugay — A 19-year-old man who was reportedly sent to collect payments on behalf of his employer was found dead with a gunshot wound to the head in a rice field in Sitio Curilao, Barangay Kawayan, Alicia, Zamboanga Sibugay on the morning of May 27, 2026.
The victim was identified as Arman Habibolla, a resident of Barangay Poblacion, Alicia, Zamboanga Sibugay.
According to reports, residents discovered the lifeless body at around 9:00 a.m. and immediately alerted authorities. Responding personnel from the Alicia Municipal Police Station, together with Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) and the municipal health officer, rushed to the area to conduct an investigation.
Initial police findings revealed that a resident noticed an unidentified man lying face down in a rice field with visible bloodstains on his body. The victim was later confirmed to be Habibolla.
A post-mortem examination conducted by the Alicia Municipal Health Officer showed that the victim sustained a gunshot wound at the back portion of his head.
Relatives of the victim told local media that on the afternoon of May 26, at around 5:00 p.m., Habibolla was allegedly instructed by his employer to collect payments in Barangay Guicam within the same municipality.
Family members said they became alarmed when Habibolla failed to return home that evening, noting that he had performed similar collection duties many times before without incident.
According to the victim’s relatives, both they and Habibolla’s employer became worried when midnight came and he still had not returned. They immediately began searching for him, but were unable to locate him until the following morning.
The family said they were shocked after receiving reports that a dead body had been discovered in Barangay Kawayan. They rushed to the area and later confirmed that the victim was indeed Habibolla.
Relatives suspect robbery as a possible motive behind the killing. They claimed the victim had been carrying around P70,000 in collected payments before he disappeared.
They also disclosed that Habibolla’s cellular phone and motorcycle were missing after the incident, strengthening their suspicion that he may have been robbed before being killed.
However, while authorities were conducting their investigation, police reportedly received information about an abandoned suspicious motorcycle left along the roadside in Barangay Balungisan, Payao, Zamboanga Sibugay.
Authorities proceeded to the area and later confirmed that the motorcycle was the same vehicle used by the victim during his collection trip.
Police authorities are continuing their investigation to determine the exact motive behind the killing and to identify the individuals responsible for the crime.