Peace and Order

CAMP SIONGCO, Maguindanao  – Military personnel arrested Friday at a checkpoint in Maguindanao a man for possession of an unlicensed gun, the Army here today said.

Major Gen. Diosdado Carreon, commander of the Army’s 6^th Infantry Division, said elements of the 14^th Mechanized Company under 57th Infantry Battalion, who were manning the checkpoint in Barangay Elian, Datu Saudi Ampatuan, Maguindanao, arrested the man identified as Guidsali M. Sula, 25 years old, resident of Barangay Salbu of Datu Saudi Ampatuan.

KIDAPAWAN CITY – Police authorities in Magpet, North Cotabato arrested during law enforcement operation on Wednesday night an alleged New Peoples’ Army (NPA) member and seized from him bullets and bomb making components, including C-4 claymore mine.

Major Judgie Barotas, Magpet town police chief, said police armed with search warrant conducted the law enforcement operations at 10:45 p.m. in the house of Jun Cruz Navales in Purok 2, Barangay Inac, Magpet, Cotabato province.

Barotas said Navales was an active member of NPA operating in the hinterlands of Magpet.

COTABATO CITY  – Unidentified gunmen shot and serious injured Tuesday noon a village chairperson her and her two companion, police said.

Lt. Colonel Portia Manalad, Cotabato City police director, told reporters the shooting occurred at about 12:30 p.m. while on board a vehicle in front of San Roque parish church in Baranagay Bagua-Mother.

She identified the injured local official as Bai Ella Biruar, chairperson of Barangay Bagua-Mother, and her two companions, Jasmin Samson and Princess Odin.

In a statement Tuesday, the Cotabato City fire station said probers are still trying to determine what triggered the fire, the city’s worst since first day of year 2020.

The office of Cotabato City Mayor Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi has dispatched social workers to attend to the needs of the fire victims.

MAGUINDANAO --- The Datu Odin Sinsuat municipal police arrested Monday a Visayan fugitive from Zamboanga-Sibugay province who is wanted for two counts of rape.

Suspect Joseph Heneralao Aligato, 36, was immediately turned over to the municipal police office in Naga town in Zamboanga-Sibugay following his arrest in Barangay Awang in Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao.

He relocated to Maguindanao province after Judge Anthony Isaw of the Regional Trial Court Branch 24 in Ipil, Zamboanga-Sibugay issued on October 1, 2018 a warrant for his arrest.

MIDSAYAP, North Cotabato  – Military and police authorities here and in Maguindanao have been hunting two men who ambushed and killed a soldier and wounded another on Wednesday (Jan. 22).

Police Lt. Colonel John Miridel Calinga, Midsayap town police chief, identified the victims as Corporal Earl Tabaranza, 31, and Private First Class Meljay Bernal, 30, both members of the Army’s 34^th Infantry Battalion.

COTABATO CITY – Government forces arrested a leader of Moro rebel group and his wife during drug buy bust operations here Wednesday that also led to the seizure of P3.4 million worth of shabu.

Cotabato City Mayor Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi, in a public statement through her FB page, said the operation was jointly conducted by Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Region 12 and in the Bangsamoro region, local police and Criminal Investigation and Detection group.

GENERAL SANTOS CITY --- Five operators of a drug den in Barangay Apopong here fell in an entrapment operation Saturday by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.

Naravy Duquitan, director of PDEA-12, identified the suspects as Rodrigo Dadibo and his accomplices, Abdul Ayob, Jeherson Bagatua, Noel Morales and Richie Sarabia.

Agents confiscated from them P68,000 worth of shabu.

MATALAM, North Cotabato  - Hindi na umabot pa ng buhay sa ospital ang isang Barangay Peacekeeping action Team o BPAT member habang sugatan naman isang Barangay Chairman at isa pa matapos na tambangan ng di pa kilalang mga suspek sa Barangay Ilian, Matalam North Cotabato.

Kinilala ang nasawi na si Kunti Kadatuan Solaiman na residente ng nasabing lugar habang ang sugatan naman ay sina Kutin Idtug, 67 anyos, may asawa at Punong Barangay ng Ilian at Chairman din ng Political Affairs ng MNLF at Antonio Saban, 53 anyos at nakatira sa Barangay Kayaga, Kabacan Cotabato.

NORTH COTABATO --- The military is bracing for retaliations by the New People’s Army following an encounter Wednesday that left four NPAs wounded.

The gunfight erupted when the NPAs fired at members of the Army’s 7^th Infantry Battalion dispatched to Sitio Pahidlat in Barangay Latagan in Matalam, North Cotabato to check on the reported presence of gunmen collecting “protection money” from hapless villagers.