MALIDEGAO, SGA, BARMM — A man was shot dead by unidentified assailants on Thursday night, September 10, 2026, at the Crossing Tinidtiban area of Barangay Batulawan in Malidegao, Special Geographic Area (SGA) of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
The victim was identified by the Malidegao Municipal Police Station as Ralphzan Tayuan Pilas, an adult resident of Datu Piang, Maguindanao del Sur.
Initial information indicated that Pilas had reportedly gone to the area from Datu Piang for a meeting or transaction involving a motorcycle. Police said that while he was in the area, unidentified individuals approached him and shot him.
The victim sustained a gunshot wound to the head and reportedly died at the scene. The circumstances surrounding the shooting, including the identities of the gunmen and the exact motive, remain under investigation.
The Malidegao Municipal Police Station is conducting follow-up operations to identify and locate the perpetrators. Investigators are also working to establish the circumstances that led to the shooting and determine whether the reported motorcycle transaction was connected to the attack.
Authorities have yet to release further details regarding the firearm used, the number of assailants, or a possible motive.
The killing comes even as the district implementation of the gun ban is in effect in the region, raising renewed concerns over the enforcement of restrictions on the carrying and use of firearms and the continuing presence of illegal firearms in communities.
Police are expected to pursue the investigation and conduct a hit pursuit operation against those responsible for the killing.