A 14-year-old girl dies after a king cobra bites her while she tries to protect three younger cousins in Barangay Batian, Maitum, Sarangani. The incidents occur on Monday, July 13, 2026, as the children swim at a creek or river area near Crossing Kuda. Reports say the king cobra, known locally as “banakon” (also referred to as “swaga”), appears and moves toward the children. According to her family, the girl—identified by her relatives as “Buding,” the eldest among the group—does not run away. Instead, she shields her cousins from the snake, which results in her being bitten. Other coverage describes the girl attempting to protect her cousins from the snake’s attack and later dying from the bite. The accounts agree on the location in Maitum, Sarangani; the date; the age of the victim; the presence of three cousins; and the snake species being a king cobra. Her family’s identification provides the name used in the reports.