PAGAYAWAN, Lanao del Sur — An Army corporal was killed in a brazen daylight shooting after being riddled with at least 15 bullets by still unidentified gunmen along a roadside in Barangay Bandara-Ingud, Pagayawan, Lanao del Sur, on the morning of January 30, 2026.
The victim was identified as CPL. Raven D. Bulaclac, also known as Abdul Jaffar, 33, a member of the 55th Infantry Battalion and a resident of Barangay Pantukan, Tugaya, Lanao del Sur.
Based on the initial investigation by the Pagayawan Municipal Police Station (MPS), Bulaclac was driving his Lifan KPV 150 motorcycle en route to the municipality of Ganassi when armed assailants suddenly opened fire at around 7:10 a.m. Witness accounts and physical evidence indicate that the attackers used high-powered firearms, leaving the soldier with fatal gunshot wounds to various parts of his body. He was declared dead at the scene.
Crime scene operatives recovered seven empty shell casings of caliber 5.56 and one empty shell of caliber .45, pointing to the use of both a rifle and a handgun during the attack.
The victim’s body was found on the side of the road and was immediately secured by responding police officers. His remains were later turned over to his family and brought to Barangay Ngingir, Pagayawan, where Islamic burial rites were observed.
PNP-BARMM spokesperson Capt. Steffi Salanguit confirmed the incident and said authorities are pursuing all possible angles, including the motive behind the killing and the identities of the suspects.
Investigators have yet to determine whether the attack was work-related or connected to other personal or security issues in the area. No arrests have been made as of this writing.
Meanwhile, grief continues to surround the family of the slain soldier. His live-in partner, Stella Castro, was reportedly devastated upon learning of his death. According to information shared by close sources, Bulaclac had spoken with her the night before the attack, apologizing and promising to spend time with their two children upon returning home to Iloilo. The couple had been engaged since December 2023.
Authorities are urging the public to come forward with any information that may help identify and arrest those responsible for the killing, stressing that witnesses’ identities will be kept confidential as the investigation continues.