COTABATO CITY — Authorities have recovered the skeletal remains of a 39-year-old woman who was allegedly murdered by her own son-in-law and abandoned in a remote grassy fishpond area in Barangay Kalanganan 2, Cotabato City, in a crime that remained hidden for nearly eight months.
The remains of the victim, identified as Arbaina Abdullah Guiapar, were discovered around 12:03 p.m. on Friday, May 22, at Purok Timako, a secluded and muddy portion of the village.
According to investigators from Philippine National Police Police Station 3, the primary suspect was identified as Omar Balabagan, also known by the aliases “Talib,” “Undaya,” and “Andoy,” a 28-year-old resident of the same barangay and the victim’s son-in-law.
Police said the gruesome crime surfaced after the suspect’s wife, Norhana Balabagan, managed to escape captivity and report the incident to authorities earlier this week.
Family Dispute Turned Deadly
Based on the investigation led by Police Station 3 chief Clebby Cabotaje, the killing allegedly occurred in October 2025 following a heated argument between Balabagan and his wife inside their home in Purok Timako.
Investigators said the suspect’s anger reportedly shifted toward his mother-in-law during the altercation, leading to the fatal attack.
Authorities believe that after killing Guiapar, the suspect hurriedly transported and dumped her body in an isolated fishpond area covered with thick vegetation and mud to conceal the crime.
Police and barangay officials later recovered several skeletal fragments from the shallow and overgrown fishpond after residents and witnesses pointed investigators to the location.
Daughter Allegedly Held Hostage for Eight Months
In a disturbing twist, Norhana told authorities that immediately after the killing, her husband forcibly brought her to Barangay Adaon in the municipality of Talitay, where she was allegedly held against her will for eight months.
She claimed Balabagan repeatedly threatened to kill her if she attempted to escape or report the crime.
According to police, Norhana finally managed to flee on May 19, 2026, allowing her to return to Cotabato City and seek help from authorities. Her testimony became the breakthrough that led investigators to the victim’s remains and exposed the alleged killing.
Cotabato City police director Jibin Bongcayao and Steffie Salanguit of the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region separately confirmed the recovery of the remains and the ongoing manhunt operations against the suspect.
Massive Manhunt Underway
Units of the Police Regional Office–Bangsamoro Autonomous Region, together with intelligence operatives from the 6th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army, are now conducting coordinated operations to locate and arrest Balabagan, who remains at large.
Authorities vowed to pursue all legal remedies to ensure justice for Guiapar and accountability for what police described as a brutal and horrifying crime concealed for months.
The skeletal remains of the victim were later given a proper burial with the assistance of local authorities and barangay officials.
Police continue to gather additional evidence and testimonies as criminal charges for murder and other possible offenses are being prepared against the suspect.