KIBAWE, BUKIDNON — A 63-year-old farmer was found dead with a gunshot wound inside his cornfield in Barangay Pinamula, Kibawe, Bukidnon, after he reportedly went there to guard his crops amid repeated incidents of corn theft in the area.
The victim was identified as Titian Villanon, who was initially referred to in reports as alias “Ceasar.” His body was discovered by family members in the vicinity of Purok 7, Nabunturan, Barangay Pinamula, shortly after 8 a.m. on Friday, August 21, 2026.
According to the investigation of the Kibawe Municipal Police Station (MPS), Villanon had gone to his cornfield at around 6 p.m. on August 20 to watch over the crops. His family said he had been taking precautions because of previous incidents of corn theft reported in the area.
Villanon failed to return home that night.
When he remained missing the following morning, his family became alarmed and went to the farm to look for him. They found him lying in the middle of the cornfield, already lifeless, with an apparent gunshot wound on the right side underneath his armpit.
Police were alerted through a call from a concerned citizen. Officers from the Kibawe MPS, together with personnel from the Rural Health Unit, immediately proceeded to the area to assess the incident and document the scene.
Four gunshots reportedly heard
Investigators are also looking into reports that gunfire was heard in the vicinity several hours before Villanon was found dead.
A Chief Barangay Peacekeeping Action Team (BPAT) official in the area reportedly told authorities that his sister-in-law heard four consecutive gunshots at around 8 p.m. on August 20, approximately two hours after Villanon had gone to the cornfield.
The same information was also relayed by the Chief Barangay Tanod of Barangay Pinamula, who said his brother-in-law had heard four successive gunshots that evening.
Authorities have yet to establish whether the reported gunshots were directly connected to Villanon’s death.
Motive and suspect remain unknown
As of the latest police information, no suspect has been identified or arrested, and the motive for the killing remains undetermined.
The Kibawe MPS is continuing its investigation to establish what happened to Villanon between the time he arrived at the cornfield and when his body was discovered the following morning.
Police are also coordinating with the Provincial Forensic Unit (PFU) in Malaybalay City for crime-scene processing and the collection and examination of physical and forensic evidence that could help identify the perpetrator and establish the circumstances surrounding the shooting.
Investigators are expected to examine the location, possible ballistic evidence, the victim’s movements, and information from residents who may have heard or witnessed activity in the area.
The reported history of corn theft is also being considered as part of the investigation, although authorities have not established any connection between the theft incidents and the killing.
For now, police are urging anyone who may have witnessed suspicious activity near the cornfield on the evening of August 20 to coordinate with the Kibawe MPS.
The investigation remains ongoing, and authorities have yet to determine the identity of the gunman or the motive behind the fatal shooting.