SULTAN KUDARAT, Maguindanao del Norte — A 20-year-old woman was shot dead in broad daylight after being gunned down by the man driving the motorcycle she was riding in Barangay Salimbao, Sultan Kudarat, on Thursday afternoon, December 18, 2025.
Police identified the victim as Mariyam Abdullah Saban, married, a housekeeper, and a resident of Sitio Kasagingan, Barangay Bucana, Cotabato City. She sustained fatal gunshot wounds to the chest and head and was declared dead on arrival at the Cotabato Regional and Medical Center.
According to initial police reports, the incident occurred at around 2:10 p.m. along SK Mastura Avenue in Sitio Juliano. The victim was riding as a passenger on a motorcycle when the driver—later identified as the gunman—suddenly stopped, pulled out a short firearm from his sling bag, and fired at her at close range.
Lt. Col. Jopy Ventura, spokesperson of the Police Regional Office–BARMM, said the suspect fled immediately after the shooting and remains at large. Responding officers from the Sultan Kudarat Municipal Police Station, led by PCapt. Norman M. Nur, arrived at the scene minutes after the incident was reported and secured the area.
Police recovered two spent shell casings and one deformed bullet from the crime scene. The Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) have been tapped to conduct a thorough forensic examination, while a hot pursuit operation is ongoing to track down the suspect.
Authorities have yet to determine the motive behind the killing and are exploring all possible angles, including personal and criminal motives. The police assured the public that a progress report will be released as soon as new information becomes available.
The brazen killing has once again raised concerns over gun violence in the province, as residents call for swift justice and heightened security to prevent similar incidents.