SULTAN KUDARAT, Maguindanao del Norte — A 26-year-old solar post installer was shot dead by two unidentified gunmen while working along a barangay road in Barangay Dalumangcob, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao del Norte, on Tuesday morning, August 25, amid the strict implementation of the election gun ban in the Bangsamoro region ahead of the upcoming Parliamentary election.
The victim was identified by Bangsamoro police spokesperson Capt. Steffi Salanguit as Merham Tugis Amilol, a single man and resident of Barangay Banubo, Sultan Kudarat.
According to the initial investigation by the Sultan Kudarat Municipal Police Station, Amilol was digging beside the barangay road at around 10:40 a.m. as part of his work installing solar posts when two men riding a motorcycle approached him.
Police said the motorcycle’s back rider, who was wearing a hoodie jacket, suddenly opened fire at Amilol using a firearm whose type has yet to be determined. The victim sustained gunshot wounds and died at the scene.
The assailants immediately fled aboard the motorcycle and sped toward an undetermined direction, leaving investigators to piece together the circumstances surrounding the attack.
Police recovered two fired bullets and one fired cartridge case from the crime scene. The recovered ballistic evidence is expected to be examined as authorities attempt to determine the firearm used and establish possible links to other incidents.
As of Tuesday, police have yet to identify the suspects or establish a motive for the killing. Investigators are continuing to gather information and examine possible leads that could determine whether the attack was related to a personal dispute, the victim’s work, or another motive.
The shooting also highlights the continuing security challenges confronting authorities in the Bangsamoro region as the election gun ban is being strictly enforced in preparation for the upcoming Parliamentary election.
The gun ban is intended to prevent election-related violence and restrict the unauthorized carrying and use of firearms during the election period. Despite these heightened security measures, the fatal shooting demonstrates the difficulty of completely preventing armed attacks, particularly those carried out by unidentified assailants.
Authorities, however, have not established any connection between Amilol’s killing and the upcoming election. Police have yet to disclose evidence indicating that the shooting was politically motivated or election-related.
Investigators are expected to review the victim’s background, recent activities, possible disputes, and other circumstances that may help establish the motive. They will also pursue leads that could identify the motorcycle and the two men responsible for the attack.
The case remains under investigation as police work to identify and apprehend the suspects and determine the circumstances behind the killing.
Authorities are appealing to anyone who may have witnessed the shooting or noticed suspicious individuals or motorcycles in Barangay Dalumangcob around the time of the incident to come forward with information that could help investigators solve the case.