By CHRIS V. PANGANIBAN
SAN FRANCISCO, Agusan del Sur — Police investigators remain without a major breakthrough in the killing of a former campaign manager of an opposition candidate in last year’s local elections in Surigao del Sur, as authorities continue to search for leads in the shooting death of farmer and community figure Kristoffer Ralph Manggana Rizo.
Rizo, popularly known as “Raffy” and associated with Double Harvest Farming, was shot dead in Tagbina town on Thursday morning, in an attack that has drawn public attention because of his political connections, a previous complaint involving an alleged armed intrusion at his farm, and a final social media post that reflected his concerns days before his death.
Efforts to obtain additional details from law enforcement authorities were made through online and mobile calls to the Tagbina Municipal Police Station and the Surigao del Sur Provincial Police Office. However, police officials were unable to provide further details at the time.
A response from the Tagbina police indicated that the chief of police and the assigned investigator were in Tandag City conducting a case conference on the matter, a day after the shooting incident. No further details regarding the investigation were released.
Tagbina police have appealed to residents to provide information that could help identify the gunman and establish the motive behind the killing. However, authorities have yet to publicly name any suspect, identify a person of interest, or confirm any motive.
Rizo was the campaign manager of former congressional candidate Carla Lopez Pichay during the May 2025 elections in the Second District of Surigao del Sur. Pichay, who ran against then-incumbent Governor Alexander Pimentel, lost the congressional race by a narrow margin.
Before his death, Rizo had reported an alleged incident at his farm in Barangay Malixi, Tagbina, according to records from the Tagbina Municipal Police Station.
The police blotter showed that on June 18, 2026, at around 3:00 p.m., Rizo reported that several individuals allegedly wearing what appeared to be NBI uniforms entered his farm without permission. He claimed that one of his employees was allegedly threatened with a long firearm and that a motorcycle was taken from the area.
The report was recorded as an initial complaint. Police have not confirmed the identities of the individuals involved or determined whether the reported farm incident was connected to Rizo’s killing.
Days before his death, Rizo also made a Facebook post that has since drawn attention from people seeking possible context surrounding the events leading to the shooting.
In the post, Rizo appeared to express frustration over what he described as pressure and harassment connected to his personal stand.
He wrote in Cebuano:
“Kung inyo ko daginoton tungod sa ako pagbarug wala jud koy mahimo ky pobre rako. Ako ra usa daghan og gamhanan kaayo mo inyo pa jud ko istorbohon bisan sa panahon karun alas 4 pa sa kaadlawon…”
Translated into English, Rizo said:
“If you will oppress me because of my stand, there is really nothing I can do because I am only poor. I am only one person, while you are many and very powerful. Yet you still choose to bother me, even at this time, at 4 o’clock in the early morning…”
The post did not identify any person or group, and authorities have not publicly linked the statement to the shooting.
Following Rizo’s death, Pichay issued a strong condemnation, describing his killing as another example of what she called a continuing problem of violence and impunity in Surigao del Sur.
In her statement, Pichay questioned those responsible for violence and highlighted the pain experienced by families left behind by unresolved killings. She referred to Rizo as the latest victim and called for accountability.
Lawyer Mary Helen Zafra, Pichay’s political ally who ran and lost in the Tandag City councilor race during the 2025 elections, also joined calls for justice.
Zafra said that if violence and impunity have been allowed to persist for decades in Surigao del Sur, every unsolved killing becomes a wound carried not only by victims’ families but by the entire community.
She called for a “true justice” system through an impartial, fearless, and thorough investigation that would identify and hold accountable whoever is truly responsible.
“No amount of wealth, influence, or power can ever justify a life lost,” Zafra said, adding that delayed justice deepens the pain of grieving families and may embolden those who believe they are beyond accountability.
The killing of Rizo has placed renewed attention on unresolved violence in Surigao del Sur, but investigators have yet to establish whether political rivalry, personal disputes, the earlier farm complaint, or other factors played a role in the attack.
For now, the case remains open, with Tagbina police urging anyone with information about the shooting to come forward as authorities work to determine who killed Raffy Rizo and why.
