Kidapawan City, Cotabato Province — A 42-year-old man who reportedly has an outstanding warrant of arrest for frustrated homicide was seriously wounded after unidentified gunmen opened fire on him while he was riding a motorcycle along the boundary of Barangays Amas and East Patadon in Kidapawan City on Monday afternoon, August 10.
Police identified the victim as alias “Gabi Mamad,” 42, a resident of Barangay Logan, T’boli, South Cotabato. Initial investigation revealed that the victim was traveling toward Kidapawan City aboard a Bajaj Kawasaki motorcycle along the Matalam-Kidapawan Road at around 4:30 p.m. when he noticed another motorcycle apparently tailing him.
Upon reaching Purok Mangga in Barangay East Patadon, the suspects allegedly opened fire several times, hitting the victim in different parts of the body and causing him to crash onto the road. After the attack, the assailants immediately fled toward the direction of Matalam.
Responding rescuers and police personnel rushed the wounded victim to Amas Provincial Hospital, where he remains under medical care.
During an ocular inspection of the crime scene, authorities recovered a green-colored pouch from a grassy portion beside the road. Inside the pouch were 10 medium-sized sachets containing a substance suspected to be shabu, which have been turned over for laboratory examination.
Further verification by investigators also revealed that the victim allegedly has a standing warrant of arrest in connection with a frustrated homicide case, a development that police are considering as part of the ongoing investigation.
Authorities have launched hot pursuit operations, drug-net operations, intelligence gathering, and case build-up efforts to identify and arrest the suspects behind the shooting. A flash alarm has likewise been issued to neighboring police stations to intensify checkpoints and monitor possible escape routes.
The latest attack adds to the growing number of shooting incidents recorded in Kidapawan City in recent weeks, prompting renewed calls for strengthened security measures and intensified law enforcement operations to curb gun-related violence in the area.
Police continue to investigate whether the attack was connected to personal grudges, criminal activities, or illegal drug operations. As of this writing, the identities and motives of the suspects remain unknown.