PIKIT, Cotabato — A carnapping incident involving two student victims escalated into an armed encounter after police engaged fleeing suspects during a hot pursuit operation in Barangay Ladtingan on Tuesday afternoon, May 5, 2026.
According to initial police reports, the incident began at around 3:45 p.m. when members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Alert Team responded to a call for help from two victims, identified only as “Jane,” 17, and “Hanna,” 19, both residents of the municipality.
The victims told authorities that three armed men forcibly took their motorcycle, a Honda XR 150 bearing plate number 616MRA. The suspects reportedly fled the scene, with two of them escaping aboard another motorcycle toward the Ligawasan area.
Police immediately launched a hot pursuit operation and were able to track down the suspects just a few meters from the crime scene. However, instead of surrendering, the suspects allegedly opened fire on the pursuing officers, triggering a brief exchange of gunfire.
One of the suspects, identified as alias “Benhur,” a resident of the Ligawasan Special Geographic Area (SGA) in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), was wounded during the encounter. He was promptly transported to a nearby hospital for medical treatment.
Authorities recovered a spent shell from a .45 caliber firearm at the scene, which is now part of the ongoing investigation.
Meanwhile, two other suspects managed to escape and fled toward the Ligawasan marshland area. Police operations are ongoing to track them down.
The PNP has since heightened security measures in Barangay Ladtingan and surrounding areas to prevent further incidents and ensure public safety.
Investigators are continuing to gather evidence and determine the full circumstances behind the carnapping and subsequent armed confrontation. Charges are being prepared against the apprehended suspect and his accomplices.