ISABELA — Four individuals were killed while five others were injured in a shooting incident during a barangay fiesta in Barangay San Rafael Abajo, Santo Tomas, Isabela on the evening of 24 May 2026.
According to the Isabela Police Provincial Office, the shooting occurred at around 7:50 p.m. in front of a residential house in Barangay San Rafael Abajo.
The victims were attending local festivities when unidentified armed suspects suddenly opened fire before fleeing the scene.
Two of the victims died instantly from multiple gunshot wounds, while the others were rushed to Milagros Albano District Hospital in Cabagan, Isabela for treatment.
Authorities identified the fatalities as Barangay Chairman Jimmy Paeste Jr. of Barangay Colonguan, Police Corporal Frederick Bautista, 18-year-old Marlo Joaquin Baui, and one unidentified male.
Bautista was an active member of the Santo Tomas Municipal Police Station, and the shooting reportedly occurred directly in front of his residence.
The wounded included Police Master Sgt. Jayson Acierto, 37-year-old Margie Bautista, two 17-year-old minors, and another injured individual listed in police records.
Acierto is also assigned to the Santo Tomas Municipal Police Station.
The suspects remain unidentified and are now the subject of an ongoing police manhunt.
Personnel from the Santo Tomas Municipal Police Station and investigators immediately responded to secure the area, while the Isabela Police Force Unit processed the crime scene and gathered evidence.
Police also coordinated with nearby stations to establish checkpoints and conduct dragnet operations to track down the attackers.
Authorities said the investigation into the motive and identities of the perpetrators remains ongoing.
In a statement, Santo Tomas Mayor Leandro Antonio Talaue expressed condolences to the families of the victims and strongly condemned the attack.
Talaue said the local government had directed the Local Peace and Order Council, the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office, and the police to conduct a thorough investigation, deploy additional peacekeeping personnel, provide medical and psychological support to victims and witnesses, and extend burial and financial assistance to affected families.
The mayor also urged the public to remain calm, avoid spreading unverified information, and cooperate with authorities by providing any relevant information to the police or the Office of the Mayor.
