Suspects in Kalinga motel shooting now in police custody

BAGUIO CITY — Police authorities confirmed that the suspects involved in a shooting incident at a motel in Kalinga days ago are now in the custody of the Tabuk City Police Station.

On 3 February 2026, a 29-year-old man was pronounced dead on arrival at a hospital shortly after he was shot by two suspects, one of whom is an active member of the Armed Forces of the Philippines with the rank of corporal. His alleged accomplice is a driver and a resident of Basao, Dilag, Tabuk City, Kalinga.

The incident occurred along Mayangao Street, Dagupan Centro, Tabuk City, Kalinga, in the early hours of 3 February 2026. The victim was identified as a 29-year-old resident of Uma, Lubuagan, Kalinga.

According to police reports, the victim was resting on a sofa in the lobby of a motel at the Double A Building when the suspects entered the premises at around 3:15 a.m. After a brief period, the suspects left. Minutes later, the soldier allegedly returned to the lobby and shot the victim in the chest. The suspects then fled the scene on a motorcycle.

The victim was rushed to a nearby hospital but was declared dead on arrival.

The suspects eventually surrendered following the intervention of local elders, the Provincial Local Government Unit of Kalinga, and members of the Kalinga Bodong (peace pact) Council of Elders.

Authorities are currently preparing the necessary documents for inquest proceedings, although the specific charges to be filed have yet to be finalized.