Slaughtered at Home: Gunmen Massacre Family, Kill 8-Year-Old Girl in Maguindanao

Sultan Kudarat — In a horrifying display of violence that has rocked the quiet village of Barangay Ladia, four family members including an 8-year-old girl were slaughtered in broad daylight when gunmen stormed their home and opened fire without mercy.

The massacre unfolded just after 1:00 PM on Monday when unidentified armed assailants, aboard a mini van, descended upon the unsuspecting community and riddled a family compound with bullets in a cold-blooded execution.

When the gunfire ceased, four lifeless bodies lay in pools of blood two elderly men, a middle-aged father, and an innocent child. The victims were identified as Gaban Indaw and Basit Indaw, both estimated to be in their 60s; Abdulkadir Indaw, 39; and a young girl, just eight years old. The attack left no room for escape.

Four others, all members of the same family, sustained serious gunshot wounds: Kusain Indaw, 32; Rohamin Indaw, 17; and two others identified as Tatang and Saida Indaw. They were rushed to a nearby hospital, bloodied and fighting for their lives.

The Sultan Kudarat Municipal Police and Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) responded immediately, sealing off the crime scene. Bullet casings were scattered across the yard grim markers of the brutality inflicted in the heart of a family’s sanctuary.

"This was a deliberate, targeted attack. The suspects showed no hesitation — this was a massacre," said a police investigator on-site, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the case.

Authorities have yet to establish the motive behind the attack, but early leads suggest possible links to a longstanding clan feud a recurring plague in parts of Mindanao. Investigators are pursuing all angles, including land disputes and political rivalry, which have been known to erupt into violence in the region.

As families in the community mourn the dead and fear for their safety, the killers remain at large. The Philippine National Police has vowed to bring the perpetrators to justice, but for now, the grieving relatives are left with bloodstained floors, shattered lives, and haunting questions.