A 38-year-old woman was shot dead by an unidentified gunman while tending to pigs behind her home in Barangay San Roque, Maramag on the evening of May 16, prompting an ongoing hot pursuit operation by local police authorities.
According to the initial investigation conducted by the Philippine National Police, the victim was attending to their pigpen at the rear portion of their residence in Purok 6 around 7:30 p.m. while her husband and child were resting inside the house.
Moments later, the family heard a single gunshot coming from behind the house. When they rushed outside to check, they found the victim lying on the ground, critically wounded.
She was immediately brought to a hospital in Maramag for emergency treatment, but attending physicians declared her dead on arrival.
Authorities identified the victim as a 38-year-old resident of Purok 6, Barangay San Roque, Maramag, Bukidnon.
Investigators said personnel from the Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) processed the crime scene and recovered metal fragments believed to have come from a 12-gauge shotgun, indicating the type of weapon possibly used in the attack.
Police have already identified a person of interest in the killing, a 36-year-old man known by the alias “Dodoy,” who reportedly fled immediately after the shooting.
PLtCol. Alexander Eugenio, chief of police of the Maramag Municipal Police Station, confirmed that authorities have launched a hot pursuit operation against the suspect.
Investigators are looking into personal grudge as the possible motive behind the killing, although authorities stressed that a deeper investigation is still ongoing to establish the full circumstances surrounding the crime.
The incident has alarmed residents in the community, with police appealing to the public to cooperate and immediately report any information that could help locate the suspect and aid in the investigation.
Authorities also urged the public to refrain from spreading unverified information on social media to avoid causing further fear and confusion in the community.
The fatal shooting adds to the growing concern over gun-related violence in parts of Bukidnon, where law enforcement agencies continue efforts to track down suspects involved in violent crimes.