MANILA, Philippines, Feb. 10, 2026 — A 41-year-old man was shot dead by a responding police officer in Sta. Ana, Manila, after allegedly attacking him with a hammer and a knife during a domestic dispute late Tuesday night.

According to barangay officials, the incident began when the suspect’s wife sought help from authorities, claiming her husband had attempted to sexually assault her after she told him she wanted to separate. Responding to the call, the police officer arrived at the couple’s residence around 11 p.m. but was immediately confronted by the suspect.

Witnesses said the man struck the officer on the head with a hammer and stabbed him in the side. As the suspect prepared to stab again, the officer drew his service firearm and shot him. The suspect was rushed to a nearby hospital but was declared dead on arrival.

Barangay officials confirmed that the wife also sustained injuries during the altercation and was pronounced dead at the hospital. The police officer, who suffered head and side wounds, is currently recovering.

Authorities stressed that the officer acted in self-defense after being attacked. The Manila Police District has launched an investigation into the case, while social workers are coordinating with the victim’s family.

Self-Defense Claims in a Credibility Crisis

Claims of self-defense may be legitimate, but they now operate in an environment of public doubt. Years of “nanlaban” narratives have shaped a credibility crisis where official accounts are no longer automatically trusted, especially when deaths occur during police encounters.

This case, rooted in a domestic dispute, involves violence on all sides, yet the final outcome still depends on the officer’s version of events. That reality makes independent investigation essential, not to assume wrongdoing, but to prevent accountability from being reduced to a single narrative.

When the state holds the gun and writes the report, transparency becomes the only safeguard. If trust has been broken before, how can the public be sure it is not being asked to believe another convenient story?