A female engineer and professor was fatally shot in a broad daylight ambush on Monday, December 30. The incident occurred in Barangay Paco, Kidapawan City.
The victim, identified as Shiela Ramos Bautista, was a resident of Barangay Manongol and served as a department head at the University of Southern Mindanao-Kidapawan City Campus.
According to the Kidapawan City Police, Bautista was driving along Km 114 when unidentified suspects fired multiple shots at her vehicle. Witnesses said the gunmen used a .45 caliber pistol before fleeing the scene on a motorcycle heading toward Matalam, Cotabato Province.
Bautista succumbed instantly to a gunshot wound to her neck. Civilians nearby reported hearing gunshots and later discovered her lifeless and bloodied inside her vehicle.
Her husband disclosed that Bautista was en route to deliver an order of shoes to an unidentified customer at the time of the attack.
Authorities are investigating all angles, including potential personal or professional motives. However, no suspects have been identified, and the motive for the crime remains unknown.
The killing has sparked outrage and grief among Bautista’s family, colleagues, and students, who are demanding swift justice.
The Kidapawan City Police continue to urge witnesses or individuals with information to come forward and assist in the investigation.
