Assassinated Citizens December, 2025

Assassination is normal in the Philippines not only for government officials but also for regular citizens. The most common method of assassination for both citizens and officials is a motorcycle duo riding up on the target and then blasting them away. This series will document the number of citizens assassinated on a monthly basis. These stories are to be distinguished from regular murder cases which happen on a daily basis. 

https://mb.com.ph/2025/12/03/2-gunmen-wanted-for-shooting-woman-dead-in-antipolo

Authorities are now hunting down two unidentified men who shot a woman dead in Antipolo City early Wednesday, Dec. 3.

According to the Antipolo City Component Police Station (Antipolo CCPS), the incident occurred around 12:55 a.m. at Purok 5, Zone 8, Barangay Cupang.

Based on their initial investigation, the victim, identified as “Camille,” was walking home from Marikina when the two suspects allegedly appeared from behind her, and one of them shot her once in the head without any apparent reason.

The incident resulted in her immediate death.

The suspects then fled on foot toward a nearby alley.

Antipolo CCPS said they have requested the assistance of the SOCO team for crime scene processing.

They are now conducting a follow-up investigation to identify and locate the suspects.

 

https://mb.com.ph/2025/12/14/woman-gunned-down-in-laguna

A woman was shot dead in Cabuyao City, Laguna province, on Saturday, Dec. 13.

Police identified the victim as Rose Ann.

The victim was sitting in front of the main gate of Citadel Subdivision, Purok 3, Barangay Mamatid, at about 10:35 p.m. when two unidentified men wearing black jackets and riding a white motorcycle arrived.

A confrontation erupted and one of the suspects shot the victim twice with a handgun.

She was taken to a hospital here she was declared from bullet wounds.

Meanwhile, a 20-year-old tricycle driver was shot and wounded by an unidentified man in Barangay San Jose on Saturday.

Victim Raian was driving his tricycle when the suspect driving a motorcycle appeared and shot him in the head.

Raian was taken to a hospital where he is recovering.

https://mb.com.ph/2025/12/15/medical-representative-shot-dead-in-zamboanga-city

A medical representative was shot dead here on Sunday night, Dec. 14.

Police identified the victim as 43-year-old Nicolai Torres Asistido.

Investigation said the victim was talking to a companion on Calle Real St. in Barangay Mercedes when a man onboard a motorcycle appeared and shot him.

Asistido died on the spot from multiple bullet wounds. The suspect fled towards the MCLL Highway.

Police are conducting follow-up investigation.

https://mb.com.ph/2025/12/15/gunmen-shoot-livestock-buyer-dead

A 54-year-old livestock buyer was shot dead in Barangay Camansi, Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental on Sunday, Dec. 14.

The victim was identified as Alberto.

Police Lt. Col. Roberto Indiape Jr., Kabankalan police chief, said the victim was fixing a motorcycle when two men arrived and shot him.

The victim was wounded in the head and back and was declared dead in a hospital.

Recovered from the crime scene were two fired cartridges of a .45 caliber pistol.

Police said the incident may be insurgency-related since the victim allegedly introduced himself as a government asset.

Indiape added that the victim’s older brother was killed in an encounter with the military in Barangay Camansi in 2022.

He said the victim’s family is hesitant to provide more information due to the sensitivity of the case and security reasons.

https://www.philstar.com/nation/2026/01/01/2498076/man-killed-maguindanao-del-norte-attack

A man was killed in an attack by motorcycle-riding assailants in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao del Norte on Tuesday night.

Rotas Mastura was on his way home on a motorcycle when he was killed in Barangay Macaguiling, according to Lt. Col. Hector Tanio Jr., Sultan Kudarat police chief.

Mastura died at the scene from six gunshot wounds in the body.

Witnesses said the assailants fled on a motorcycle.

Probers have yet to determine the motive for the killing and identify suspects.

https://mb.com.ph/2025/12/31/farm-specialist-killed-in-abra

A lone gunman shot and killed a farm specialist of the Mount Carmel Agri-Tourism and Training Center in Sitio Sinilagan, Barangay Lusuac, Peñarrubia, Abra, on Tuesday, Dec. 30.

Police identified the victim as Daniel Fatorog Pog-ok, 53, of Sadanga, Mountain Province.

Investigation said the victim was sleeping in his room when the suspect forced his way in by breaking the door knob and shooting him in the head.

The Abra Diocesan Teachers and Employees Multi-Purpose Cooperative, which manages the facility, condemned the killing.

Pog-ok, they said, is kind, hardworking, and good at teaching in the field of agriculture.

Follow-up investigation is ongoing.

 

More Evidence the Philippine Justice System is Broken

If there is a truism to be said about the Philippine justice system it is that it is broken. This does not mean the Philippines lacks laws or law enforcement. It does not mean that criminals are not rightly prosecuted. What it does mean is taken comprehensively the Philippine justice system is filled with so many pitfalls which need patching and which make it unreliable. 

Take the following case.

https://mb.com.ph/2025/08/26/instead-of-only-30-days-woman-stayed-in-jail-for-over-23-years

A woman, who should have been imprisoned for only 30 days for slight physical injuries, stayed in jail for 23 years at the Correctional Institution for Women (CIW) in Mandaluyong City.

More than 40 years old now, the woman – whose name was not disclosed – was convicted of murder almost 25 years ago by the trial court.

Murder is punishable with reclusion perpetua or a prison term ranging from 20 to 40 years.

On appeal to the Supreme Court (SC) the conviction was reversed and was meted out a jail term of 30 days for slight physical injuries, recalled Department of Justice Undersecretary Margarita Gutierrez.

The SC decision could not be accessed since the name of the woman and the case number of the appeal were not disclosed.

Undersecretary Gutierrez said the woman was released on Christmas Day in 2024 after the Quezon City Regional Trial Court (RTC) issued a writ of habeas corpus sought by the lawyers of the DOJ Action Center (DOJAC).

Gutierrez, who heads the DOJAC, said the RTC acted on the basis of the SC’s decision that was issued in January 2024.

Had not the DOJAC intervened and acted on the plea for help by the woman, she would still be at the CIW, Gutierrez said.

Based on her recollection of the case, Gutierrez said the woman and her two male co-accused were convicted of murder for the killing of her alleged rapist.

Gutierrez said she learned that the woman had a drinking spree with some male companions when one of them tried to sexually abuse her.

Fortunately, the woman said her two male companions managed to stop the rapist whom they beat up and died from multiple stab wounds.

When the case reached the Supreme Court, Gutierrez said the High Court found that the woman merely beat up her rapist and it was one of her companions who stabbed him to death.

Despite the SC ruling, the woman could not be released from jail because of the pending motion to reconsider the High Court’s decision, Gutierrez said.

The DOJAC decided to seek the issuance of a habeas corpus before the RTC considering that the SC had reversed her murder conviction and had over served her jail term for almost 23 years instead of only 30 days, she added.

25 years ago a lady was convicted of murder and sentenced to a prison term between 20 and 40 years. On appeal the Supreme Court reversed her conviction and reduced her sentenced to 30 days on a significantly lesser charge. Rather than release her immediately she was kept in prison due to a "pending motion to reconsider the High Court’s decision."

There are four things to consider here. 

1. How is it the SC found different facts from the lower courts? This discrepancy is significant and shows the incompetence of the judge which convicted this lady. 

2. Why would the SC decision not be immediately executable? Why did this lady need to sit in prison while the case as being reconsidered? The article does not say.

3. Why was the motion for reconsideration never brought forward and the woman allowed to rot in prison? More than likely because she is poor with no sufficient legal representation. If the DOJAC had not taken up her case she would still be in prison. There is nothing to indicate how they became aware of her plight.

4. How many more people share her condition? How many more Filipinos are unjustly imprisoned due to incompetent lower court judges?

When someone is rightly convicted and people cheer and say, "Look the Philippine justice system works," they must be corrected and pointed to cases like this. In the grand scheme of things the injustice against this lady is not anomaly. It happens every day. 

Assassinated Citizens November, 2025

Assassination is normal in the Philippines not only for government officials but also for regular citizens. The most common method of assassination for both citizens and officials is a motorcycle duo riding up on the target and then blasting them away. This series will document the number of citizens assassinated on a monthly basis. These stories are to be distinguished from regular murder cases which happen on a daily basis. 

 https://mb.com.ph/2025/11/03/fisher-killed-2-hurt-in-cebu-city-gun-attack

A 44-year-old fisherman died while two others were wounded when they were shot while aboard a motor banca in Barangay Pasil here on Sunday afternoon, Nov. 2. 

Police identified the fatality as Efren Tancos, a native of Inabanga, Bohol province. 

Wounded were Marvin Duallo Moreno, 27, and Winston Cabigon Caparida, 25, who are also residents of Inabanga. 

Police said Caparida hired Tancos and Moreno to transport his family in Barangay Ermita here to Inabanga. The family planned to visit their departed loved ones for All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days. 

Police said the motor banca ferrying the victims was about to dock in Barangay Pasil when armed men peppered them with bullets. 

The gunmen fled after the attack. The victims were taken to the Cebu City Medical Center where Tancos died. 

Police Capt. Charisma Gonzales, information officer of the Cebu City Police Office, said initial investigation showed that at least five persons were involved in the attack. 

Gonzales said further investigation will be made to identify the culprits and the motive of the attack.

https://mb.com.ph/2025/11/11/game-fowl-breeder-gunned-down

A 48-year-old game fowl breeder was fatally shot in his game farm in Barangay Marcelo, Calatrava, Negros Occidental on Tuesday, Nov. 11. 

Police Lt. Dwight Fajardo, deputy chief of the Calatrava Municipal Police Station, said the victim Max was checking his fighting cocks when three unidentified men arrived and shot him from behind. 

Fajardo said the victim sustained bullet wounds in the back and a slash wound in the nape.

The victim was taken to a hospital where he died. 

Recovered from the crime scene were a fired .45 caliber cartridge case and a fired 12-gauge shotgun shell. 

Police are probing the motive of the incident and checking the background of the victim.

https://www.mindanaotimes.com.ph/brazen-attack/

AN UNIDENTIFIED assailant gunned down a man along the Daang Maharlika Highway, Km. 18, Barangay Ilang, Bunawan District, on Wednesday, Nov. 12, around 3:10 p.m., prompting a hot pursuit operation by the police.

The victim was identified only as alias Nel, of legal age, single, jobless, and a resident of Purok Buhisan, Barangay Tibungco.

According to the Bunawan Police Station report, a concerned citizen notified authorities of the shooting at approximately 3:10 p.m. Investigators, led by PMSg Pantonial and PSSg Elmer P. Baliang Jr., immediately proceeded to the scene.

Initial investigation revealed that the victim was crossing the road in front of Specialist Primary Care Hospital toward Muslim Village when he was shot multiple times by the male perpetrator. 

The assailant used a firearm believed to be a caliber .45 pistol, the report added.

Nel sustained fatal gunshot wounds to the right side of the neck and the left chest and died on the spot. Reports said he was also hit on the right leg and the right side of the back. 

The suspect fled immediately after the incident toward an unknown direction.

The Regional Forensic Unit (RFU) XI Scene of the Crime Operative (SOCO) team, led by Capt Bernadine C. Magallanes, recovered two fired cartridge casings and two fired bullets.

They also recovered the victim’s bag, which contained two elongated transparent heat-sealed plastic sachets containing suspected shabu (methamphetamine), an ice pick, a coin purse containing a broken watch, a cellphone keypad, one lighter, one cap, one broken tube, and one blade.

Personnel of Bunawan Police Station are investigating the case. The motive for the shooting remains to be determined.

In accordance with Muslim burial tradition, the victim’s body was brought to his residence in Purok 16, Buhisan, Barangay Tibungco, and is scheduled for burial within 24 hours.

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/regions/967597/man-shot-dead-while-buying-fish-in-dasmari-as-city-cavite/story/

A man was shot dead by a motorcycle-riding gunman as the victim was buying fish from a stall along Jose Abad Santos Avenue in Barangay Salawag in Dasmariñas City, Cavite on Tuesday. 

According to Vonne Aquino’s report in “Saksi” on Wednesday, CCTV footage showed the gunman on his motorcycle passing in front of the store.

The suspect later returned to stop and shoot the victim.

Another customer was also shot and was seen running for his life until he fell on the ground.

One of the witnesses said they were shocked and hid after the suspect fired his gun several times. 

A police report from the Dasmariñas City police station showed that the victim suffered several gunshots in various parts of the body.

He was rushed to hospital but eventually succumbed to his wounds.

Meanwhile, the other customer was wounded in the right leg and is still undergoing treatment at the hospital.

Authorities are conducting follow-up operations and are still reviewing the CCTV footages in the area. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1264277

Law enforcement authorities here have launched a manhunt to arrest the gunman behind the killing of an Egyptian national on Saturday evening.

Col. Fidel Fortaleza Jr., director of the Zamboanga City Police Office (ZCPO), said they mobilized personnel to track down where the gunmen had fled after the incident around 6:20 p.m. in the boundary of Barangays Lumbangan and Divisoria.

The victim was identified as Abdalrahman Elshawadfy Mohammed Elfaky based on the driver’s license the police recovered from the slain Egyptian’s possession at the crime scene.

“Investigation showed the victim was driving his vehicle when the motorcycle-riding attacker pulled up beside him, fatally shot him, and sped off,” Fortaleza said in a report Sunday.

Councilor Fredrick Atilano, chairperson of the City Council’s Committee on Peace and Order, said a thorough investigation is underway and the police are reviewing footage from the CCTV cameras in the area of the incident.

Atilano said the victim is temporarily staying in this city and is in charge of the Asia Academic School in Barangay Tetuan.

He urged those who might have vital information that could lead to the solution of the case to assist the police in the investigation.

Atilano said all information will be treated with utmost confidentiality.

Assassinated Citizens October, 2025

Assassination is normal in the Philippines not only for government officials but also for regular citizens. The most common method of assassination for both citizens and officials is a motorcycle duo riding up on the target and then blasting them away.  This series will document the number of citizens assassinated on a monthly basis. These stories are to be distinguished from regular murder cases which happen on a daily basis. 

https://mb.com.ph/2025/10/01/man-shot-dead-in-motorcycle-robbery-along-katipunan-avenue-qc

A man was shot dead by unidentified motorcycle-riding suspects along Katipunan Avenue, Quezon City, on Wednesday morning, Oct. 1. 

According to the initial report, the incident occurred shortly before 6 a.m. when the victim was attacked by the assailants, who allegedly stole his motorcycle after the shooting. 

The Quezon City Police District (QCPD) s yet to release other information on the incident. 

The incident caused heavy traffic along Katipunan Avenue during the morning rush hour. 

https://mb.com.ph/2025/10/15/electrician-gunned-down-inside-store

A 52-year-old electrician was shot dead in a store in Barangay Muntingpulo here on Tuesday afternoon, Oct. 14. 

Police said the victim Roger, single, was sitting inside his friend's store when an unidentified man appeared and shot him in the chest. The victim died on the spot from multiple bullet wounds. 

The suspect, who was wearing yellow sando and short pants, fled on a motorcycle towards Barangay San Isidro. 

Police are conducting follow-up investigation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9v_iI3Hjoc

The son of the barangay chairman of Parangbasak, Lamitan City, Basilan province survived a shooting incident in the village on Saturday, Oct. 18. 

Investigation said that Alcarem Muddalan, the son of Juddihal Muddalan, was sitting outside the family owned bakery when two men on a motorcycle arrived and opened fire with an M-16 rifle. 

Alcarem sustained a scratch on the lower part of his left hand. 

A motorcycle without a license plate believed to have been used in the attack was found abandoned in Barangay Balimbing, Lamitan City. 

A security team from the 18th Infantry Battalion was dispatched to the area to restore order.

Intelligence operatives and the Lamitan police are investigating the incident. 

Authorities are looking into the possibility that Alcarem’s father was the target of the attack. 

In October 2020, Juddihal and two of his bodyguards were wounded in an ambush by unidentified men in Barangay Baas, Lamitan City. 

Suspects fired an M203 rifle at his house, injuring some of the occupants, that month.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1261499

The Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) Samar on Tuesday confirmed that Albay broadcaster Noel Bellen Samar passed away, a day after he was shot by an unidentified gunman along Maharlika Highway in Guinobatan, Albay.

Maj. Maria Luisa Tino, spokesperson of SITG Samar, said Samar died around 2 p.m. following a medical procedure at the Bicol Regional Hospital and Medical Center (BRHMC) in this city.

“Based on the second progress report regarding the criminal investigation of the shooting incident involving Noel Samar, a local media practitioner on or about 2 pm of Oct. 21, 2025 confined at BRHMC, Daraga, Albay was pronounced dead by attending physician Dr. Krisha Riosa,” Tino said.

Samar, 54, affiliated with Kadunong ITV and radio station DWIZ, sustained gunshot wounds to the left side of the chest and abdomen.

Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFOMS) Executive Director Jose Torres Jr. extended deepest condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of Samar. 

Torres assured that a thorough investigation is actively underway to ascertain the circumstances surrounding this incident.

“Our Special Investigation Task Group (SITG “Samar”) is working in collaboration with the Philippine National Police to ensure that those responsible are brought to justice,” he said.

Torres said the incident highlights the challenges faced by media practitioners in their pursuit of truth and accountability.

“We stand in solidarity with journalists across the nation during these difficult times, reaffirming our steadfast commitment to upholding press freedom and ensuring the safety of all media workers,” he added.

Sara Duterte Is Her Father's Worst Enemy

There are many victims of President Duterte's drug war whose families have been crying out for justice for many years. Finally, in 2025, Duterte was imprisoned at the ICC where he currently awaits trial for crimes against humanity. His daughter Sara, who is the current Vice President, has been his most vocal supporter going so far as to call his arrest a kidnapping. 

Not only does she want to break him out of prison but she believes his prosecution will be "not useful" because it will be taking place in the Netherlands and not the Philippines. 

https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/10/14/desire-for-ex-pres-duterte-to-held-accountable-for-drug-war-deaths-not-useful-vp-sara-1608

The latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey showing that most Filipinos want former President Rodrigo Duterte to be held accountable in drug war killings under his administration is currently "not useful" to the Philippines, Vice President Sara Duterte said on Tuesday. 

Based on the commissioned SWS poll released on Monday, out of 1,500 adult Filipinos surveyed late last month, half or 50 percent agreed that Duterte should face accountability for the drug war deaths. 

Meanwhile, 32 percent disagreed and 15 percent were undecided.

But in an interview in Zamboanga City, the vice president said this would not be useful for the country since her father's trial would be held at The Hague in The Netherlands. 

"It is not useful here in our country because the case is not happening here so I guess that is for the ICC court to think about if at all that is what they are basing it on," the Vice President said. 

"So, it's not useful for the Philippines since President Duterte's trial is not happening here," she said.

Duterte refused to answer questions related to her father's rejected interim release, saying she would rather wait for the ICC's decision on their appeal before making any comments. 

"Whatever it is – sorry, I don't comment on the ICC," she noted.

The ICC last week rejected the request from Duterte's defense team for his interim release on medical grounds. 

The former president has been charged with crimes against humanity by the ICC for his alleged involvement in at least 76 murders as part of his "war on drugs."

Duterte was arrested in Manila on March 11, flown to the Netherlands that same night and has been held at the ICC's detention unit at Scheveningen Prison in The Hague since.

What exactly does she mean by useful? If Duterte is convicted that is justice served for the victims. If he is exonerated that is justice served for himself by proving he did nothing wrong. The fact is even the Philippine Supreme Court ruled that the Philippines has a debt to pay to the ICC for the years it was a member. This is the price of signing an international treaty. Her statement is legally and morally empty. 

Given that the Philippine justice system had plenty of time to bring charges against Duterte for mass murder and did not holding a trial at the ICC will be the opposite of useless. It will be the only forum in which victims can find justice. But perhaps Sara means a conviction will be useless because it won't bring back the dead? How will imprisoning one man equal justice? 

Let's listen to Dostoevsky from Crime and Punishment.

He was ashamed just because he, Raskolnikov, had so hopelessly, stupidly come to grief through some decree of blind fate, and must humble himself and submit to "the idiocy" of a sentence, if he were anyhow to be at peace.

Vague and objectless anxiety in the present, and in the future a continual sacrifice leading to nothing—that was all that lay before him. And what comfort was it to him that at the end of eight years he would only be thirty-two and able to begin a new life! What had he to live for? What had he to look forward to? Why should he strive? To live in order to exist?

https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Crime_and_Punishment/Epilogue

Any prisoner could say the same. But with Duterte, he will likely not survive a prison sentence seeing as he is 80 years old and in bad health. 

I noted earlier that Sara Duterte has referred to her father's arrest as a kidnapping and how she wishes to break him out of prison. That has not set well with the court and, as a result, they have decided to keep him detained.

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2025/10/11/2479121/dutertes-children-factored-icc-decision-keep-him-detained

Remarks by Vice President Sara Duterte and the political role of her brother, Davao City Vice Mayor Sebastian Duterte, were among the reasons cited by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in denying former president Rodrigo Duterte’s request for temporary release from detention.

In a 23-page ruling made public Friday, October 11, the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I said Duterte remains a flight risk, a potential threat to witnesses, and at risk of committing the same crimes for which he is charged if freed.

While those are some the main reasons cited, the court also found that his children’s public statements and positions of authority reinforced those risks, explaining that his continued detention is required to ensure his appearance at proceedings.

The ICC ruling cited public remarks by Sara, who told supporters in July that she would break her father of detention and accused the ICC of relying on fake witnesses.

The court said these statements, as well as her later claim that her father wished to return to Davao City if released, contradicted the defense’s assertion that Duterte would remain in the host country designated by the court.

“The foregoing illustrates Mr. Duterte's rejection of the proceedings against him before the Court, and the will of his close family to help him elude detention and prosecution,” the judges wrote.

The ruling also pointed to Duterte’s enduring political influence, which remains strong through his family’s high-ranking positions. The court noted Baste's current role as acting mayor of Davao City, one of the sites of alleged extrajudicial killings. His influence amplifies the risk that the elder Duterte could use local networks to evade justice, the court said.

"Considering Mr. Duterte’s son’s position of power in the Philippines at one of the locations of the crimes alleged," the chamber said, "this risk continues to exist even if Mr. Duterte would be released to a location outside the geographic scope of the alleged crimes."

Heath arguments rebuffed. The decision, dated September 26, rebuffed defense arguments that Duterte’s age and medical condition justified interim release.

His lawyers submitted medical reports claiming cognitive decline and frailty, but the ICC said the documents failed to show that his health eliminates the risks of flight or obstruction.

The chamber also rejected 16 proposed conditions for release — including electronic monitoring, restricted movement and communication limits — finding them insufficient given the risks cited.

Judges noted that the unnamed country offering to host Duterte lacked the infrastructure to enforce electronic tracking, which even the defense described as "essential."

Next in the case. The denial marks a significant setback for the Duterte family’s efforts to bring the former president home as he awaits trial for alleged crimes against humanity related to thousands of drug war killings.

Victims' families and their lawyers had opposed his release, saying he still commands the political machinery to intimidate witnesses and influence proceedings.

The confirmation of charges hearing, originally scheduled for September 23, has been postponed as independent medical experts assess Duterte’s fitness to stand trial — a separate matter from his eligibility for release.

For now, the court ruled, detention remains necessary.

As the Bible says, the mouths of fools poureth our foolishness, Proverbs 15:2. Sara was told by an ICC accredited lawyer to keep quiet.

https://globalnation.inquirer.net/270870/dutertes-lawyers-not-vp-sara-should-discuss-icc-case

Vice President Sara Duterte should stop making public comments about the case of her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, before the International Criminal Court (ICC) and leave it to their lawyers instead, a lawyer accredited by the court said on Sunday.

The younger Duterte over the weekend questioned the widely reported figure of 30,000 drug war deaths during her father’s administration, saying the prosecution’s claims were far from the 181 pieces of evidence submitted to the ICC.

“It will do well for the Vice President to leave [it] to her father’s lawyers to do the talking on the merits of the ICC case instead of spouting foul words that only boomerang and apply to her,” ICC-accredited lawyer Joel Butuyan told the Inquirer.

“The ICC case is not about proving the murder of 30,000 Filipinos but about the decision by her father in ordering police forces to use extrajudicial killing as a solution to the illegal drugs problem,” he said.

“The ICC case is not a prosecution against ordinary police and their agents who pulled the trigger that resulted in 30,000 murders. Instead, it is a prosecution against the monster masterminds who ordered triggers to be pulled in order to implement the mass murder of suspected drug personalities,” he pointed out.

But she just couldn't hold her tongue. Truly she is her father's worst enemy. 

Assassinated Citizens September, 2025

Assassination is normal in the Philippines not only for government officials but also for regular citizens. The most common method of assassination for both citizens and officials is a motorcycle duo riding up on the target and then blasting them away.  This series will document the number of citizens assassinated on a monthly basis. These stories are to be distinguished from regular murder cases which happen on a daily basis. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1257794

Police are hunting down two gunmen who ambushed and killed a family of three in the village of Nalinan here on Monday afternoon.

Lt. Col. Jopy Ventura, spokesperson for the Bangsamoro police, identified the fatalities as Ibrahim Payapat, his wife Zenaida Kusain, 32, and his daughter Aisa, 16.

All were residents of Barangay Rosary Heights 10, Cotabato City. An 11-year-old son survived the attack but was injured.

Citing police reports from the Sultan Kudarat municipal police station, Ventura said the victims were all on board a tricycle on their way home when two men on a motorbike opened fire on them at around 3 p.m.

The father died on the spot. His wife and daughter were rushed by responding villagers to the Cotabato Sanitarium hospital in Sultan Kudarat town but they expired an hour later.

Police said the suspects and the motive behind the attack are still being determined.

https://mb.com.ph/2025/09/10/man-shot-dead-on-basilan-highway

Police are investigating the murder of a man on the highway in Barangay Limo-ok, Lamitan City, Basilan province on Tuesday, Sept. 9. 

Police identified the victim as Nassir Maruji Abdulhari, a resident of Barangay Mangalut in Akbar municipality, Basilan. 

Abdulhari sustained multiple bullet wounds and declared dead at the scene. 

The victim was driving his motorcycle towards Lamitan City when he was shot by a lone gunman. 

The suspect fled onboard a motorcycle without a license plate towards Barangay Balobo. 

Recovered from the crime scene were one spent shell casing, two slugs from a .45 caliber pistol, and the victim's motorcycle. 

Police are conducting follow-up investigation and manhunt operations.

https://mb.com.ph/2025/09/10/man-gunned-down-on-batangas-highway

A 43-year-old man was shot dead by two motorcycle-riding gunmen in Barangay Balibago here on Tuesday morning.

Police said the victim Michael driving a motorcycle on the national highway when the suspects appeared and shot him in the back.

The victim crashed into a road barrier and died on the spot.

Police arrested the driver of the motorcycle, Jaypee, in a follow-up operation.

Lawmen located the unregistered motorcycle through backtracking in the house of Jaypee’s friend in Purok 7, Barangay Malalay, Balayan, Batangas, where it was left behind for repairs.

Jaypee’s friend revealed his address in Barangay Hukay here where police arrested him hours after the incident.

Police are conducting a manhunt operation against Jaypee’s cohort.

https://mb.com.ph/2025/09/09/miner-sheltering-from-rain-shot-dead

A 25-year-old miner was shot dead on Monday night, Sept. 8, in Barangay Mapulot here.

Police identified the victim as Anton, single.

Investigation said the victim was sheltering from heavy rain in an abandoned house when a man appeared and shot him in the jaw.

The victim died on the spot and the suspect fled on foot towards a mountainous area.

Police are conducting follow-up and manhunt operations.

https://mb.com.ph/2025/09/18/tricycle-driver-shot-dead-by-riding-in-tandem-in-antipolo

A tricycle driver was shot dead by still unidentified motorcycle-riding gunmen in Barangay Cupang, Antipolo City on Wednesday night, Sept 17. 

The incident was immediately reported to the Antipolo City Component Police Station (Antipolo CCPS) by a concerned citizen at around 10 p.m., shortly after the shooting occurred at around 9:50 p.m. 

Based on the initial investigation, the victim, identified as "Rogelio," was driving his passenger tricycle and upon reaching the intersection of Sumulong Highway and Oliveros Street, two unidentified men riding a motorcycle allegedly approached and suddenly fired multiple shots at him, causing his death. 

Authorities are now conducting an investigation to identify and arrest the suspects, who immediately fled after committing the crime.

https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/20/caught-on-cctv-brother-of-barangay-chairman-in-manila-shot-dead-1829

A former businessman and brother of a barangay chairman in Tondo, Manila was shot dead at close range by riding-in-tandem gunmen around 7:40 a.m. on Saturday.

The victim was identified as 56-year-old Jaime Ching, who sustained a gunshot wound in the head.

CCTV footage from Bgy. 65 showed the victim riding a motorcycle along the corner of Pacheco and Franco Streets, followed closely by another motorcycle carrying the suspects.

The driver of the suspects' motorcycle wore a helmet, while the back rider was wearing a hat and a facemask.

The victim stopped at the corner of Zamora and Pacheco Streets, where the assailants caught up with him

The footage showed the victim glancing back when the suspects' motorcycle pulled up beside him, before he was shot once in the head, killing him instantly.

“I was shocked, my hair stood up, the force was just a single shot, I knew it was a gun, the man turned around,” said a witness, who rushed to the victim after hearing the gunfire.

Another witness recalled seeing the suspects’ motorcycle speeding by as if in pursuit shortly before the shooting.

“I was here at my chicken coop, feeding my chickens, I was shocked when someone on a motorbike sped by, I didn’t know that they were going to shoot me at the corner. It was really strong! Because we were so close,” the witness said.

Before the incident, the victim accompanied his mother to a medical check-up.

“It hurts even though sometimes we have a fight, of course we are brothers too, but I can’t accept that this would have been done if there had been a delay in the discussion,” said Barangay Chairman Felix Ching, the victim’s brother.

The victim’s family is now crying out for justice.

“I am asking for justice for my brother, please help us, Mayor Isko, please help us, what happened to my brother,” Ching appealed.

Manila Police District spokesperson Maj. Philipp Ines said they are now conducting a thorough investigation.

“We are currently backtracking and forwarding the CCTV footage and we assure the victim’s family that the Manila Police District will do everything possible to ensure justice for what happened,” Ines said.

https://mb.com.ph/2025/09/23/man-buying-dinner-shot-dead-in-gen-trias

A report from the Police Regional Office 4A identified the victim as alias Jayvee, a 34-year-old construction worker. 

Initial investigation said the victim was buying fried chicken with his live-in partner when two unidentified suspects approached. 

Armed with an unidentified caliber of firearm, one of the suspects allegedly fired three shots at the victim, hitting him in different parts of the body. 

The suspects fled on foot toward F. Manalo Road after the incident. 

Alias Jayvee was rushed to the hospital but was declared dead on arrival. 

Police have requested CCTV footage from the area and launched a dragnet operation to track down the suspects.

https://mb.com.ph/2025/09/23/man-killed-over-unpaid-debt

A 46-year-old man was allegedly killed over an unpaid debt in Barangay Suba, Calatrava, Negros Occidental on Saturday, Sept. 20. 

Police Capt. Jesus Alba, chief of Calatrava Municipal Police Station, said the victim and his wife were riding a motorcycle on their way home when they were waylaid by two persons also on a motorcycle. 

Alba said the victim was shot in the stomach and in the head after falling from the motorcycle. His wife was unharmed. 

The victim was taken to a hospital where he was declared dead on arrival. 

Recovered from the crime scene were three spent cartridge cases. 

Police Lt. Col. Joem Malong, Police Regional Office-Negros Island Region (PRO-NIR) spokesperson, said the victim was asked by one of the suspects to pay his debt but failed. 

Police arrested one of the two suspects – a 41-year-old man in Barangay Macasilao Proper, Calatrava – in a follow-up operation after he was identified by the victim’s wife. 

His companion, who was the motorcycle driver, remains at-large. 

Murder charges were filed against the suspects.

https://mb.com.ph/2025/09/27/lady-engineer-shot-dead-in-ilocos-norte

A lady project engineer was gunned down on Friday night in Sitio Nagmarcaan, Barangay San Marcelino, Dingras, this province. 

Police Major Norman Pentang, Dingras police chief, said a resident discovered the victim Daisy with bullet wounds in her van that fell in a canal on the barangay road leading to her residence at about 8 p.m. 

She was taken to a hospital where she died while undergoing treatment before dawn Saturday.

Pentang said the victim was on her way home after visiting her business in Solsona town, Ilocos Norte when she was shot. 

Police recovered five empty caliber .45 shells in the crime scene. 

Pentang clarified that the victim is a project engineer of a construction firm, not a contractor as reported online. 

Follow-up investigation is ongoing.

https://mb.com.ph/2025/09/29/man-shot-dead-by-bike-riding-gunmen

A 43-year-old man was killed and his younger brother was wounded after they were shot by two unidentified motorcycle-riding gunmen in Purok Active, Barangay Mandalagan here on Monday, Sept 29. 

Police withheld the names of the two victims upon the request of the family. 

Police Capt. Rondyl Tapang, head of Police Station 3, said the victims were riding a motorcycle driven by the 41-year-old victim when they were tailed by the suspects. 

Tapang said the brothers came from their family-owned eatery and were on their way home when they were shot by the suspects at 8:40 a.m. 

The older victim was shot first and hit in the back. His younger brother attempted to escape but he was also shot in the back, according to Tapang. 

Tapang said the older victim did not survive, while the younger victim is now recuperating in a hospital. 

Recovered from the older victim’s bag was a short firearm with six bullets. 

The Bacolod City Police Office is conducting follow-up investigation and manhunt operations.

https://mb.com.ph/2025/09/29/man-on-way-home-shot-dead-in-laguna

A 43-year-old man was shot dead in Barangay Maytalang here on Monday. 

Police said the victim Lito was walking on his way home when a man appeared and shot him. 

Lito died on the spot from multiple bullet wounds and the suspect fled. 

Police are conducting follow-up investigation.

https://mb.com.ph/2025/09/30/rickshaw-driver-shot-dead-in-zamboanga-city

A rickshaw driver was shot dead in Barangay Victoria here on Monday, Sept. 29.  

Police identified the victim as Aldani Ismael of Basilan and Barangay Sangali, this city. 

Before the incident, the victim was in Barangay Putik here at 9:30 p.m. to pick up a passenger. 

Ismael was on his way home at around 11 p.m. when he was shot in the head by still unidentified assailants. 

Police are conducting follow-up investigation.