General Santos City — Authorities here reported that a gubernatorial aspirant for the 2025 midterm elections in Sarangani province was shot Saturday night inside the vicinity of the Seventh-Day Adventist Compound on Dacera Avenue, Barangay City Heights.

Initial investigations conducted by the GenSan Police disclosed that the victim — identified as Gladden Lim, a resident of Alabel, Sarangani — was shot by a still unidentified suspect who was waiting for the gubernatorial aspirant.

Reports said that the victim had just finished a meeting inside the SDA Compound when the incident occurred.

According to witnesses, they heard five simultaneous gunshots before seeing the suspect, riding a Yamaha Aerox with a red cap, fleeing the scene.

Police investigation further revealed that the victim suffered wounds in his stomach.

Meanwhile, Police Captain Miguel Angelo Quidilla, Chief of Police of Police Station 4, disclosed in a phone interview that authorities have already identified a person of interest.

Lim’s wife — identified as Atty. Edsel Lim — confirmed to the police that they had received a death threat prior to the shooting.

Quidilla, on the other hand, stressed that they have ruled out an election-related motive, adding that police are investigating land conflict as a possible motive behind the shooting.

The police official also revealed that a hot pursuit operation is underway to apprehend the fleeing perpetrator as GenSan Police director Police Colonel Nicomedes Olaivar Jr. has directed the police to immediately solve the incident.

The shooting of Lim in the highly urbanized Barangay City Heights is the third incident this year.

General Santos City Mayor Lorelie Pacquiao has condemned the shooting and demanded that the suspects be captured and brought to justice.