A 37-year-old man suspected of killing a 15-year-old girl in Kidapawan City was killed after he was shot when he allegedly grabbed the gun of a cop during the course of the barangay and police operation.

The girl was killed at a rubber farm in the city.

The girl, identified only as “Yenyen,” left home to look for edible fern known locally as “pako” to sell but she failed to return, prompting her family to ask for help from the barangay council.

Later, members of the Barangay Peacekeeping Action Team (BPAT) took in a man identified as a certain “Eric” who allegedly appeared to be suspicious.

When asked if he had seen the child, the man reportedly told the BPAT members to just look for the child around. 

He was held in custody until tanods found the body of the child.

"Nang tanungin nila kung may nakita bang bata, medyo kaduda-duda yung sagot. Basta ang sinagot niya lang daw is hanapin niyo lang diyan. Medyo nagduda ang mga tanod, so hin-old na lang siya until such time na nakita yung bangkay ng bata. Medyo gabi na rin nung makita, nilalanggam na ang bunganga ng bata,” Cotabato Provincial Police Office Spokesperson, Lt. Warren Caang, said.

The suspect reportedly owned up to the crime later but allegedly resisted when the barangay tanods turned him over to the police.

Just as he was about to be placed in handcuffs, the suspect allegedly grabbed the firearm of one of the cops, prompting the other policeman to shoot him.

"Nung tinanggal na ang belt na tinali sa kamay niya and then papalitan na ng posas, doon na, inagaw na niya ang baril ng isang tropa natin, kaya binaril siya ng kasama ng inagawan niya,” Caang said.

Authorities will check whether the child was raped, although initial assessment reportedly showed she may not have been touched.

"Physically, kung titingnan mo ang bata, intact naman ang damit. Ang hinihintay na lang natin ang result ng medico-legal para malaman natin kung nagalaw ang bata or wala,” Caang added.