PAGADIAN CITY, Zamboanga del Sur — A 48-year-old mechanic was shot dead in a brazen daylight attack along a national highway in Barangay Tawagan Sur on Sunday afternoon, April 12, 2026, prompting authorities to launch an intensified manhunt against the unidentified assailant.
The victim, a resident of Tupi, South Cotabato, sustained multiple gunshot wounds that caused his instantaneous death. Police reports revealed he was hit three times in the head, three in the chest, two in the neck, and once in the right arm, indicating a targeted and deliberate killing.
Initial investigation by the Pagadian City Police Station disclosed that the shooting occurred at around 3:10 p.m. Witnesses, including fruit vendors stationed near the area, reported hearing a series of loud gunshots. Upon checking, they found the victim sprawled on the roadside, already lifeless and riddled with bullet wounds.
Responding officers immediately secured the scene and coordinated with the Provincial Forensic Unit of Zamboanga del Sur for evidence processing. Authorities recovered seven empty shell casings believed to have been fired from a 9mm pistol, further reinforcing the severity and precision of the attack.
The suspect fled the scene immediately after the shooting and remains at large. Based on witness descriptions, the assailant was last seen riding a black Honda Click motorcycle, wearing a gray jacket and a black bonnet.
Police have since launched a hot pursuit operation, setting up checkpoints and coordinating with nearby police stations as part of a dragnet operation to track down the suspect.
Investigators are currently looking into a possible personal motive behind the killing, although other angles have not been ruled out.
The Zamboanga del Sur Police Provincial Office has appealed to the public for cooperation, urging anyone with information that could help identify and locate the suspect to report immediately to the nearest police station.
As of this writing, authorities continue to gather evidence and pursue leads to bring the perpetrator to justice.