COTABATO CITY — Police authorities are investigating a series of gunshots that alarmed residents in Purok 3, Mother Barangay Kalanganan, Cotabato City, at around 10:20 p.m. on September 30.
Cotabato City Police Office (CCPO) spokesperson Lt. Rochelle Evangelista said police immediately responded after receiving reports of repeated gunfire in the area. Personnel from Police Station 4, together with members of the Marine Battalion Landing Team 6 (MBLT6), Maritime Maguindanao Station, the Philippine Army’s 72nd Infantry Battalion, and the Cotabato City Police Office City Mobile Force Company, were deployed to conduct an initial security response.
Based on the initial investigation, residents reported hearing successive bursts of gunfire believed to have originated from Sitio Kidopo in Kalanganan 1. Authorities have yet to establish who fired the shots, what firearms were used, or what may have triggered the incident.
No injuries were reported in connection with the reported gunfire as of the latest police information.
Authorities subsequently conducted follow-up operations in nearby areas while intelligence personnel continued coordinating efforts to determine the possible location of those responsible. Police are also gathering additional information from residents and other potential witnesses as investigators work to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The reported gunfire has renewed concerns among residents in the area, particularly amid previous reports of explosions and gunfire originating from Kalanganan 1 in recent days. Authorities have not indicated whether the latest incident is connected to those earlier reports.
Police have yet to announce any arrests or identify persons of interest in connection with the September 30 incident.
The investigation remains ongoing, and authorities are expected to determine the identities of those involved, the circumstances behind the gunfire, and whether any underlying security or conflict-related issue was involved.