COTABATO CITY — A 40-year-old fishpond owner was found dead inside his own fishpond in Mother Barangay Kalanganan, Cotabato City, on Monday, August 10, after reportedly sustaining multiple gunshot wounds to different parts of his body.
The victim was identified as Antonio Herida Hugnatan Jr., a resident of Purok 1 in the same barangay.
According to the police, the gruesome discovery was made at around 2 p.m. on August 10, when a tenant working at a nearby fishpond reportedly spotted Hugnatan lying motionless in the middle of his fishpond.
The tenant immediately informed Reynabeth Dequilla, a cousin of the victim, about what had been found.
Dequilla, together with other relatives, proceeded to the fishpond to verify the report. Upon reaching the area, the family confirmed that Hugnatan was already dead.
The incident, however, was not reported to the police until around 11:10 p.m., several hours after the victim was discovered.
Responding authorities from the Cotabato City Police Station, together with personnel from the Maguindanao Maritime Police Station and Marine Battalion Landing Team 6 (MBLT 6), immediately proceeded to the area to verify the report.
Because the location was accessible by water, the responding personnel traveled aboard a riverboat to reach the fishpond.
While police were navigating the river, they encountered a boat carrying the victim’s relatives. The family informed the authorities that they had already recovered Hugnatan’s body from the fishpond and brought it home.
During the initial police examination, authorities observed that Hugnatan had suffered multiple gunshot wounds in various parts of his body, indicating that he had been subjected to a violent shooting.
A Scene of the Crime Operations (SOCO) team also proceeded to the area for crime scene processing. However, the team could not fully process the original scene because the victim’s remains had already been taken by his family to their residence before the police and SOCO personnel arrived.
The circumstances surrounding the shooting remain unclear.
Police have yet to identify a suspect or establish a definite motive for the killing. Investigators are expected to determine the victim’s activities and movements prior to the incident, identify possible witnesses, and examine any available information that could lead to the identification of the gunman or gunmen.
Family demands justice
The killing has left Hugnatan’s family devastated, with one of his sisters publicly expressing anger and grief over the death of her brother.
In an emotional social media post, the sister questioned whether the value of the crabs reportedly associated with the fishpond could have been worth taking her brother’s life.
She described Hugnatan’s work at the fishpond as the product of his blood, sweat and years of effort, while condemning whoever was responsible for the shooting.
Her post also appealed for accountability, questioning the motive behind the killing and calling on those responsible to face the consequences of their actions.
The family’s statements, however, remain emotional allegations and do not by themselves establish the motive or identity of the perpetrator. Police investigators have yet to confirm whether the killing was connected to the fishpond’s operations, a dispute over its produce, or another motive.
For now, authorities are continuing their investigation as the family waits for answers over the death of Hugnatan.
Police are expected to pursue leads that could shed light on what happened inside the fishpond, why Hugnatan was targeted, and who was responsible for the shooting.
The case remains under investigation.