MIDSAYAP, North Cotabato — A 38-year-old vegetable vendor was shot at close range inside a busy public market here on Thursday afternoon, April 30, in a brazen attack that shocked vendors and shoppers and prompted an intensified police manhunt.
Authorities identified the victim as Christine Mae Sonza, also known as “Nene,” a resident of Barangay Poblacion 1. She was seated at her stall in the vegetable section of the Mega Market at around 5:00 p.m. when the lone gunman suddenly appeared and opened fire without warning.
Witnesses said the suspect, described as a man wearing a yellow jacket, long pants, with long straight hair tucked under a black cap, approached the victim and fired multiple shots at close range before fleeing the scene.
Sonza sustained gunshot wounds to the body and was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital. However, due to the severity of her injuries, she was later declared dead.
Police recovered at least four spent cartridges believed to be from a caliber .45 pistol at the crime scene. The evidence has been forwarded to the North Cotabato Provincial Forensic Unit for ballistic examination.
The Midsayap Municipal Police Station has launched a full-scale investigation and hot pursuit operations against the suspect, who remains unidentified as of this writing. Checkpoints have been established in nearby areas to prevent the suspect’s escape.
Investigators are also reviewing closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage from establishments surrounding the market to trace the movements of the gunman before and after the attack.
As of now, authorities have yet to establish a clear motive behind the killing.
Midsayap Mayor Rolly Sacdalan strongly condemned the incident, stressing that violence has no place in the municipality, especially in public spaces.
“The local government will not tolerate such acts of violence against innocent civilians. We are closely coordinating with the police and military to ensure that the perpetrator is swiftly identified and brought to justice,” Sacdalan said.
The mayor has also ordered a thorough review of all possible angles of the case, including a detailed analysis of CCTV recordings in the area.
Police are urging anyone with information that could help identify and locate the suspect to immediately coordinate with authorities.
The incident has raised concerns over public safety in one of the town’s busiest commercial hubs, as residents call for tighter security measures to prevent similar attacks.