Cotabato City village chair, Mamasapano candidate for councilor yield guns, grenades, illegal drugs

COTABATO
CITY -- Police arrested here a candidate for town councilor of
Maguindanao and his wife following and anti-illegal drug operation on the
suspects’ home Friday night.

A city village chairperson was also arrested for explosive and gun possession in police separate raid.

The
raiding team, composed of Police Special Weapons and Tactics and Cotabato City
police, raided the house of Brahim Manalasal and his wife Bainot in Virgo
Subdivision, Cotabato City at about 9 p.m. and seized unlicensed high powered
firearms that included Bush master, a Baby M-16 Armalite Rifle, a cal. 45
pistol and 9mm pistol.

Manalasal
stressed the firearms were licensed and has gun ban exemption issued by an Army
intelligence officer due to threats to their lives.

Manalasal
who is running for town councilor of Mamasapano, Maguidnanao said his family is
threatened by an armed group back home. His wife’s brother, a police officer,
was killed in what he described as an emerging family feud. He did not name the
family Manalasal was in conflict with.

Police
questioned Manalasal’s gun ban exemption since an Army intelligence officer
cannot issue election gun ban permits but the Commission on Elections.

Bainot
Manalasal said they need to have guns for self defense even as she showed
authorities her business permits

A
village official who stood as witness told police they can search provided
everything is accordance with law.

Aside
from firearms, the raiding team also confiscated three sachets of suspected
methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu. But Bainot denied they owned the
illegal drugs.

Earlier,
the police erred in raiding the house of retired Police Inspector Solomon
Ricaforte whose house was beside the residence of Manalasal.

Ricaforte
claimed that the police officers barged inside his home and ordered all to
drop. At gunpoint, they ordered me and
my family to drop, even my grandchildren were not spared,” he said.

After
he introduced as a retired police officer, the raiding team apologized and went
to nearby house owned by Manalasal.

On
Friday morning, police and Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG)
also raided the house of a village chairperson and seized two hand grenades and
9mm pistol from him.

Senior
Supt. Roberto Badian, acting city police director, identified the village
official as Datu Tua Pangilan, chairperson of Barangay Tamontaka 2, Cotabato
City.

But
Pangilan denied he owned the gun and described the raid as politically motivated.”

The
grenades and gun were all planted, you know its election time,” he said. Police told him he has his day in court.

The
suspects are now detained at CIDG office and Cotabato City Police Office.