TULUNAN, Cotabato — A 63-year-old farmer was shot dead inside a residential area in Barangay New Panay, Tulunan, Cotabato, on Thursday evening, October 22, while a 31-year-old man identified by police as a member of the Barangay Peacekeeping Action Team (BPAT) was arrested the following afternoon in a hot pursuit operation.
The victim was identified as Jose Kermit Arevalo Cabrera, a farmer and resident of Barangay New Panay, according to Police Major Rolando Dillera Jr., chief of the Tulunan Municipal Police Station.
Based on the police’s initial investigation, Cabrera was drinking with a neighbor and friends at a residence in Purok 1 at around 6:30 p.m. when the suspect, identified only by the alias “Joe,” allegedly arrived and repeatedly shot him.
Cabrera sustained multiple gunshot wounds to different parts of his body, resulting in his death.
Suspect arrested after hot pursuit
The Tulunan police arrested the suspect at around 3 p.m. on Friday, October 23, in Purok 7, Barangay New Panay, following a sustained hot pursuit operation.
Police said witnesses positively identified the arrested man as the person responsible for the shooting. He is now under the custody of the Tulunan Municipal Police Station as investigators prepare the appropriate criminal complaint.
In an initial report, authorities said a personal dispute was being considered as a possible motive for the killing. However, investigators continue to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident and determine the factors that led to the fatal shooting.
Murder charge to be filed
While an earlier report indicated that a homicide complaint was being prepared through inquest proceedings, a subsequent police update stated that the suspect would instead face a murder charge, with no bail recommended.
The suspect’s alleged involvement in the shooting remains subject to judicial proceedings. The filing of a criminal complaint and the identification of a suspect do not, by themselves, establish guilt.
The investigation is ongoing as police work to establish the full circumstances of Cabrera’s killing.