COTABATO CITY, BARMM — A routine trip home after withdrawing money from a bank turned violent Friday afternoon when a woman was robbed of ₱135,000 and shot, with the motorcycle-for-hire driver carrying her also wounded in the attack.
The incident happened at around 3:10 p.m. on September 4 along Climente Alino Street in Barangay Rosary Heights 2, Cotabato City, according to the Cotabato City Police Office.
Police Director Col. Jibin Bongcayao said the victim, identified only as “Mercy,” had withdrawn the money from a local bank before taking a habal-habal to travel home.
But authorities said the suspects apparently followed the woman.
As the motorcycle reached Climente Alino Street, one of the suspects allegedly grabbed the victim’s sling bag containing the cash.
The woman resisted.
That was when the robbery escalated into a shooting.
According to police, the suspect shot the woman in the face. The bullet also struck the habal-habal driver in the neck.
The attackers then fled toward Notre Dame Avenue, taking the woman’s money with them.
Both victims were rushed to the Cotabato Regional and Medical Center, where they were reported to be recovering from their injuries.
Investigators recovered empty cartridge cases believed to be from a .45-caliber pistol at the crime scene. Police were pursuing the suspects as of the latest report.
Attack Comes Amid Election Gun Ban
The shooting has drawn particular attention because it occurred during the implementation of an election gun ban ahead of the Bangsamoro parliamentary elections scheduled for September 14.
The presence and use of a firearm in the robbery underscores the security challenges confronting authorities as the region prepares for the elections.
The incident also comes against the backdrop of a series of shooting attacks reported in and around Cotabato and other parts of BARMM in recent months.
In July, GMA News reported that a radio station technician was shot dead while traveling to work after being followed by motorcycle-riding suspects. Police launched a hot-pursuit operation, while the motive remained under investigation.
Philstar.com likewise reported multiple deadly ambushes in Cotabato City in July, including attacks involving motorists and motorcycle riders.
More recently, Philstar reported that separate gun attacks across neighboring areas of BARMM in August left three people dead and two others wounded, highlighting continuing concerns over armed violence in parts of Central Mindanao.
Those previous cases are not being identified by authorities as connected to Friday’s robbery, however, and police have yet to publicly establish the identities, motive or possible affiliations of the suspects in the latest incident.
Police Probe Underway
For now, investigators are focused on identifying the assailants and determining how the suspects knew that the woman was carrying a large amount of cash.
Authorities have not publicly disclosed whether the victim was specifically targeted or whether the suspects simply followed her after she left the bank.
The investigation is expected to examine possible CCTV footage along the woman’s route, witness accounts and other evidence that could help establish where the suspects came from and how they escaped.
The case also serves as a reminder of the heightened risks surrounding cash withdrawals, particularly when individuals leave financial institutions carrying substantial amounts of money.
Police have yet to announce any arrests in connection with the September 4 attack.
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