Local News

TACURONG CITY -- An Army battalion commander has kept himself busy reaching out to locals in nearby Gen. Salipada K. Pendatun town of Maguindanao to go out and vote for the May 13 polls.

Lt. Col. Elmer Boongaling, the commander of 33rd Infantry Battalion (IB), had hopped from one village to another on Wednesday in his personal campaign to help voters exercise their rights of suffrage.

“This is one way of ensuring peaceful, orderly and credible elections on Monday,” Boongaling said in an interview by reporters here Thursday.

The Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC) has released the names of 50 cities and municipalities in Region 12 that were awarded with 2018 Seal of Child-Friendly Local Governance that included Cotabato City and other cities in the Soccsksargen region.

The town of Polomolok in South Cotabato got the highest rating of 98 followed by Pikit in North Cotabato with 97 and the towns of Esperanza, Kalamansig and Pres. Roxas coming in third with a grade of 94.

Nagpapagaling pa sa ospital ang isang babae na biktima ng pananaga ng sariling live in partner sa Tampakan, South Cotabato Martes ng gabi.

Kinilala ni Tampakan Chief of Police, Police Major Joseph Forro III ang biktima na si Angelou Peligrino, 23 years old nakatira sa Barangay Lambayong sa nasabing bayan.

Ayon kay Forro suspek sa krimen ang live-in partner ni Peligrino na si Joey Magon Jr., 28 years old trabahdor sa isang sagingan.

Ipinahayag ni Forro na dahil sa sobrang galit nagdilim ang paningin ng suspek at nataga ang live in partner.

KIDAPAWAN CITY - President Duterte on Monday named Agriculture Sec. Emmanuel Pinol as Cabinet Officer for Regional Development and Security (CORDS) for the Soccsksargen region.

Pinol was one of the 16 cabinet secretaries named by Duterte during this week’s cabinet meeting in Malacanang.

Duterte also named Defense Sec. Delfin Lorenzana as CORDS for Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

CORDS will serve as virtual alter ego of Pres. Duterte in the regions across the country.

SULTAN KUDARAT – Soldiers on Tuesday deactivated three large explosives found by villagers in an abandoned lair of communist rebels in Esperanza town.

Major Gen. Cirilito Sobejana of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division said Wednesday the three improvised explosive devices were immediately disassembled by personnel of the 2nd Mechanized Infantry Battalion.

The IEDs were found by farmers inside an abandoned shanty in Sitio Kabanalian in Barangay Elian in Esperanza, Sultan Kudarat.

SULTAN KUDARAT --- Residents of Isulan town voluntarily turned over 29 unlicensed firearms to the Army on Tuesday.

Major Gen. Cirilito Sobejana of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division said Wednesday the firearms were surrendered through the intercession of local officials and Col. Efren Baluyot, commander of the 1st Mechanized Infantry Brigade.

The firearms were turned over to Baluyot and Isulan Mayor Marites Pallasigue by owners during a simple rite Tuesday in the presence of representatives from the Police Regional Office-12.

LEBAK, Sultan Kudarat – Fifteen communist rebels who belonged to Indigenous Peoples (IPs) operating in the mountains of Sultan Kudarat have surrendered to police and military authorities today.

Brig. Gen. Eliseo Tam Rasco, regional director for Region 12, said the members of New Peoples Army (NPA) Platoon Cherry Mobile of Guerilla Front 73 operating in the mountains of Kalamansig, Lebak, Palimbang and Sen. Ninoy Aquino, all in Sultan Kudarat voluntarily surrendered to the government during ceremonies at provincial capitol extension here.

COTABATO CITY - A man who claimed responsibility for the killing of a former TV reporter-turned human rights worker and a “habal-habal” driver surfaced and surrendered to police and Cotabato City Mayor Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi Monday.

TACURONG CITY -- A lone gunman shot dead a village chair of Lambayong, Sultan Kudarat and his aide along a busy street here before noon Monday, police said.

Lt. Colonel Jeofil Siason, Tacurong City police director, said Abdul Daud, 44, chairperson of Barangay Lilit, Lambayong, Sultan Kudarat died while undergoing medication at a private hospital following the 11 a.m. shooting.

His unarmed escort, Tahir Tangkilisan, a member of Barangay Peacekeeping Action Team (BPAT), was killed on the spot.

SULTAN KUDARAT --- The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency has filed criminal cases against five suspects who tried to smuggle into Isulan town P680,000 worth of shabu last week.

In a statement Monday, the regional office of PDEA-12 said the detained Noraida Sabang, Namraida Sengkong Mama, Aisa Nasser Baldido, Abdul Zainudin and Anwar Kasim have been charged with violation of the Philippine Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.