KIDAPAWAN CITY, Cotabato Province — Police have recovered the black Nissan Almera used as the getaway vehicle in the deadly daylight ambush that killed a former police K9 handler and his female companion in Barangay Lanao, Kidapawan City, strengthening investigators’ belief that the shooting was drug-related and targeted.
The Kidapawan City Police confirmed that the vehicle was found abandoned in Barangay Kabasalan, Pikit, now under the Special Geographic Area (SGA) of BARMM, barely a day after the January 4, 2026 attack that claimed the lives of Romel Pason Canson and Crystylmae Taniongon Nuñez.
Lt. Col. Argie Celeste, Acting Chief of Police of Kidapawan City, said initial findings point to a possible “onsehan” or falling-out linked to illegal drugs, based on the recovery of drug paraphernalia from the victims and the background profiles of those involved.
Investigators also discovered that both the victims and the suspects were using rented vehicles — a tactic authorities say is a common modus operandi among individuals involved in illegal drug activities to avoid immediate identification. The victims were riding a Mitsubishi Mirage at the time of the ambush, while the suspects escaped using the now-recovered Nissan Almera.
Two suspects have already been identified and are currently the subject of an intensified manhunt. Police disclosed that both individuals are listed as known drug personalities.
Background checks further revealed that Nuñez had previously been arrested in Matalam, Cotabato in 2021 for alleged drug selling, while Canson, a former police K9 handler, had been dismissed from service due to involvement in illegal activities.
The owner of the rent-a-car unit, identified as Pao Novelo of Kidapawan City, confirmed that the Nissan Almera recovered by police was rented from his shop and was the same vehicle used by the gunmen. Novelo said he was able to track the car using its GPS system and noted that it had been rented since the Christmas season. He also disclosed that the renters left identification cards at his establishment, which are now being examined by authorities.
Canson and Nuñez were ambushed around 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, January 4, while traveling along a barangay road in Purok 6, Barangay Lanao. Canson died instantly from multiple gunshot wounds, while Nuñez was rushed to the hospital but was declared dead on arrival.
The investigation is being jointly handled by the Kidapawan City Police and the Cotabato Provincial Police Office. Authorities said the recovery of the getaway vehicle and the identification of suspects mark a significant breakthrough, with police expressing confidence that the case is close to being solved.
Residents, meanwhile, remain shaken by the brazen attack, as police continue to urge the public to cooperate and report any information that could lead to the arrest of the suspects and the resolution of the case.