Mindanao Armed Conflict

COTABATO CITY --- A confessed leader of a criminal gang linked to the Dawlah Islamiya surrendered to the police Thursday.

Col. Jibin Bongcayao, police director of Lanao del Sur, on Friday said the 55-year-old Ombay Bagumbung Hadjimalik turned in an M16 assault rifle before he promised to reform for good in a simple rite in Maguing town.

Hadjimalik yielded through the backchannel intercession of units under the Lanao del Sur Provincial Police Office and personnel of the Maguing Police Station.

SULTAN KUDARAT, Maguindanao – Police have launched manhunt against heavily armed men who stormed the market and terminal in Barangay Crossing Simuay here Tuesday night.

Lt. Colonel Julhamin Asdani, Sultan Kudarat municipal police chief, said police backed by Army troopers hunt down gunmen responsible in harassing Crossing Simuay market that left a marketgoer and three gunmen injured.

SULTAN KUDARAT, Maguindanao — At least four persons were reported wounded after gunmen engaed police in a brief firefight at the public terminal-cum-public market in Barangay Simuay here before dusk Tuesday, police said.

Lt. Col. Julhamin Asdani, the acting police chief of the town, said that before 6 in the evening gunmen on board five vehicles arrived in the area.

The gunmen surprisingly roamed around the public market as if they were law enforcers looking for someone that sent jitters among people in the marketplace.

COTABATO CITY --- Police agents shot dead a man they were supposed to arrest before dawn Monday for having killed a Muslim cleric in a bungled robbery attack in April.

Members of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group were to serve Jack Macaraya in his hideout in Barangay Tuka Kialdan in Marantao, Lanao del Sur a warrant for his arrest, but he pulled out a pistol, provoking a gunfight that resulted in his death.

TACURONG CITY - Police authorities in the town of Pres. Quirino, Sultan Kudarat have launched manhunt against gunmen who executed an education official on Sunday.

Lt. Godofredo Tupaz, Pres. Quirino town deputy police chief, said in a radio interview Monday that Maguid Mangudadatu, 63, schools district supervisor for Central Buluan in Buluan town Maugindanao, succumbed to several gunshot wounds.

DATU ODIN SINSUAT, Maguindanao -- Policemen shot dead Tuesday night, July 5, two men who had reportedly divested a number of residents here of personal belongings at gunpoint.

The cohorts Miguel Villadar and Jonathan Solaiman of Barangay Labungan here died on the spot from bullet wounds sustained in the clash in Barangay Awang here with policemen searching for them after having robbed another victim about an hour before.

MANILA – Members of the anti-scalawag unit of the Philippine National Police (PNP) have arrested an active police officer wanted for carnapping cases in Cotabato City on Wednesday.

In a statement Friday, Brig. Gen. Samuel Nacion, chief of the Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group (IMEG), identified the suspect as Pat. Jassim Muhammad Aking.

COTABATO CITY  – A defeated vice mayoral candidate in Maguindanao was arrested and seized high- powered firearms during law enforcement operation before Friday, police said.

Lt. Colonel Bernard Lao, head of Bangsamoro Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), led the operation against Usop Sanggacala Aron, former village chair of Barangay Rumirimbang, Barira based on a search warrant issued by a local court.

Aron ran and lost in the vice mayoralty race in Barira during this year’s national and local elections.

COTABATO CITY --- A villager was killed while two others were seriously wounded when suspected members of a local terrorist group shot with assault rifles four houses in Pikit town in North Cotabato late Thursday.

In a statement Friday, the Pikit Municipal Police Station identified the fatality as Gilbert Roa, who died on the spot from multiple bullet wounds.

Roa was inside one of four adjoining houses in Sitio Saguing in Barangay Ginatilan in Pikit, North Cotabato that unidentified men shot with M16 and M14 assault rifles.

NAMATAY ON THE SPOT ang isang barangay kagawad matapos barilin sa Barangay Labungan, Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao.

Kinilala ng Datu Odin PNP ang biktima na si Kagawad Macmod Masiangal na taga Barangay Labungan.

Sinabi ni Datu Odin municipal police deputy chief Lt. Guiseppe Tamayo na nagpapatuloy pa ang kanilang imbesigasyon sa motibo ng krimen at kung sino ang may gawa nito.

Sa pahayag ng isa sa kaanak ng biktima, naglalakad si kagawad patungong barangay hall kahapon ng tanghali nang barilin ng di pa nakilalang mga suspect.