35-yr.-old man shot dead in Abra; killer still at large

Tabuk City, Kalinga – An unidentified gunman killed one man after indiscriminately firing at a group of men having a drinking session in front of a barber shop in Pidigan, Abra, on Saturday night, December 13, 2025.

The fatality was identified by Abra police as Sam Bachiller, a resident of Barangay Dalimag, San Isidro, Abra.

CCTV footage showed the group drinking that evening when shots were fired at around 9:00 p.m. Police reports, cited by local media, indicated that the gunshots came from a hill located across the road.

As a result of the attack, Bachiller sustained multiple gunshot wounds to different parts of his body, while one of his companions was also hit by a bullet.

Responding authorities immediately rushed the victims to a nearby hospital. Unfortunately, Bachiller did not survive, while the injured companion has since been discharged from the hospital.

In an interview with Balitang Solid North, Police Lieutenant Marivic Alzate of the Pidigan Municipal Police Station said investigators are still determining whether Bachiller was the intended target or if another member of the group was the real target.

As for the possible motive, Alzate said police are considering a business-related angle, as the 35-year-old victim was a businessman and owned the barber shop where the shooting occurred.

“Haan tayo pay ammo nu sino ti talaga nga target kanyada. Gapu ta dagitoy ket businessmen da met, ket daytoy met maysa ket agtatrabaho ti kiskisan. Ti laeng maibaga ket baka panggep ti business,” Alzate relayed.

To help bring justice to the victim’s family, a cousin of Bachiller is offering a ₱20,000 cash reward to anyone who can provide information leading to the identification and arrest of the suspect(s).

As of this writing, police continue to conduct in-depth investigations to identify the perpetrator(s) and establish the motive behind the crime.

Abra has recorded a series of shooting incidents in recent months. In November 2025 alone, a graduating student was shot dead by a drunken assailant outside his boarding house in Bangued, while a police officer was also killed after being shot by a fellow policeman inside their station, also in Bangued.