The Philippine National Police (PNP) has launched a wide-ranging manhunt following the fatal shooting of a police officer inside a mosque in Lanao del Sur province over the weekend.

To recall, Police Chief Master Sergeant Alioden M. Sarangani, assigned to the Madamba Municipal Police Station, was killed around 7:42 p.m. Saturday inside a mosque in Barangay Uyaan Proper.

Preliminary reports indicate an unidentified gunman entered the mosque while Sarangani was praying and shot him in the head. The suspect fled the scene immediately and remains at large.

“The Philippine National Police strongly condemns this brutal attack on one of our personnel, especially in a place of worship,” PNP chief Police General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said in a statement.

Nartatez ordered the Police Regional Office in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region and neighboring regional commands to deploy all available intelligence and tactical resources in an intensive, border-to-border pursuit of the suspect.

Investigators are working to determine the gunman’s identity, motive, and any possible group affiliations.

The deployment follows directives from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla to strengthen law enforcement responses and maintain order in conflict-affected communities.

“To the family of Police Chief Master Sergeant Sarangani, the entire Philippine National Police stands with you in grief, and we assure you that his ultimate sacrifice while in a sacred house of prayer will not be in vain,” Nartatez said.

Following the shooting, local and regional police units have been ordered to increase visibility and coordinate with community leaders to strengthen security in vulnerable areas across Lanao del Sur.

“I want to reassure the residents of Lanao del Sur that this cowardly attack will not break our resolve,” Nartatez said. “We are pouring heavily visible police forces into your communities to restore order and ensure your absolute safety.”