PIKIT, COTABATO – A motorist was shot dead on the spot in a brazen daylight ambush in Barangay Takepan, Pikit, Cotabato on Thursday afternoon, June 26, 2025.
According to a report from the Pikit Municipal Police Station, the victim was identified as Homidie Ampatuan, also known by the nickname “Homie.” He was a resident of Barangay Balungis in Malidagao, one of the eight municipalities in the Special Geographic Area (SGA) of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), which falls under the jurisdiction of Cotabato Province in Region 12.
Ampatuan was reportedly employed at the Makinugon Carwash in Cotabato City and was on his way home to Malidagao when the incident occurred.
Police said the victim was riding his motorcycle along the highway in Barangay Takepan when unidentified armed men, who had been waiting along the roadside, ambushed him and opened fire. He died instantly from multiple gunshot wounds.
Authorities are still investigating the motive behind the ambush and pursuing leads to identify and apprehend the suspects. The incident adds to the string of violent attacks in the region and has raised renewed concerns over security in the area.