BIR Officer Shot Dead in Ipil; Killing Follows Slay of Two Security Guards at Same Office
Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay — A Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) employee was shot dead on the spot by motorcycle-riding assailants on the night of November 7, 2025, just three days after two security guards assigned to the same office were also killed by still unidentified suspects.
The latest victim was identified as Ian Jude Soriano Nario, 47, a Revenue Officer II of the BIR-Ipil office and a resident of Top Mars 3, Barangay Pangi, Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay.
The incident occurred at around 8:56 p.m. while Nario and his wife were about to board their vehicle after dining in a food court. An unidentified gunman suddenly appeared and, for still unknown reasons, shot the victim at close range with an undetermined caliber of firearm.
A concerned citizen immediately reported the shooting to the Ipil Municipal Police Station (MPS). Responding officers led by Police Lt. Roel Bais rushed to the area and found Nario’s lifeless body lying beside his vehicle, blood pooling on the ground.
After the shooting, witnesses said, the suspect fled on a motorcycle toward the Poblacion rotunda area.
Authorities quickly launched dragnet and checkpoint operations in nearby areas in an effort to catch the fleeing gunman. The Ipil police also sought assistance from the Provincial Forensic Unit to process the crime scene.
BIR Officer Arrested for Possession of Unlicensed Firearm
In an interview with Sibugay News Hub, the victim’s wife, Mrs. Debbie Nario, said they had just come from dinner at Millennium Café inside Megabites Food Park when the attack happened. She recalled hearing gunshots just as they were about to get into their car.
“I heard three shots aimed at my husband’s head,” she said. “After that, I couldn’t tell how many more were fired because I was already in shock and terrified.”
It was learned that a day before the incident, on November 6, Nario was arrested at a police checkpoint in Ipil for possession of an unlicensed firearm and was charged with violation of Republic Act 10591 (Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act).
According to his wife, Nario had just been released from detention after posting bail. They went straight to have dinner, unaware that tragedy would soon strike.
BIR Security Guards Killed
Before Nario’s killing, two security guards assigned to the BIR office in Ipil were also slain by unidentified assailants early Tuesday morning, November 4.
Acting Ipil police chief Major Pocholo Rolando Guerrero identified the victims as Jamie Dante, 52, and Arkhads Muharral, 41. Initial police reports said both men, who were watchmen of the BIR compound, were found dead inside the premises before dawn. Their issued firearms were missing when authorities arrived, prompting investigators to consider robbery as one of the possible motives.
As of this writing, the Ipil police are conducting a thorough investigation to determine whether the killing of Nario is connected to the earlier slay of the two guards, and to identify the suspects behind the attacks.
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