BULUAN, Maguindanao del Sur — A 45-year-old driver was shot dead by an unidentified gunman while standing beside a road in Sitio Mahad, Barangay Poblacion, Buluan, Maguindanao del Sur, on Sunday afternoon, October 18, 2026, prompting police to launch hot pursuit operations to identify and arrest the assailant.
The victim was identified as Balili Tangcuangan, a resident of the area, according to Capt. Steffi Salanguit, spokesperson of the Police Regional Office of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (PRO BARMM).
Based on the initial investigation by the Buluan Municipal Police Station, the shooting occurred at approximately 2 p.m. when an unidentified suspect suddenly opened fire on Tangcuangan using a firearm whose type has yet to be determined.
The victim sustained multiple gunshot wounds and died at the scene. Following the attack, the suspect fled in an undetermined direction, leaving authorities to pursue leads on the gunman’s identity and possible whereabouts.
Police investigators reported that no spent bullet casings were recovered at the crime scene. Bloodstains believed to have come from the victim were the only reported physical traces found at the location, according to the initial police account.
Tangcuangan’s relatives subsequently brought his body to their residence instead of taking him to a hospital. Police also reported that the family declined to allow further documentation and an additional inspection of the victim’s remains, limiting the authorities’ opportunity to conduct further examination at that stage of the investigation.
Despite these circumstances, police immediately initiated hot pursuit operations in an effort to track down and apprehend the unidentified assailant.
The Buluan police also coordinated with neighboring police stations and military units to establish a dragnet and conduct checkpoint operations in an effort to prevent the suspect from escaping the area and to assist in identifying and locating the person responsible for the killing.
Authorities have yet to establish the motive behind the shooting. Investigators are continuing to gather information and pursue leads that could shed light on the circumstances surrounding the attack, including the identity of the suspect and the possible reason for targeting the victim.
As of the initial police report, no arrest had been reported. The suspect’s identity, the firearm used in the attack, and the motive remain undetermined.
Police are urging anyone with credible information that could help identify or locate the suspect to coordinate with the appropriate authorities.
The investigation remains ongoing.