Peace and Order

MAGUINDANAO --- Gunmen killed on Saturday the officer at the helm of the Jolo police station when policemen killed four Army agents in a mysterious encounter in that southern municipality last June.

The incident in Jolo, Sulu has since remained unsolved and was even subject of a Senate inquiry in aid of legislation.

KORONADAL CITY - Authorities are guarding against possible attacks by terrorists to avenge the deaths of six members of the Dawlah Islamiya in a brief clash in Polomolok town Friday.

One of fatalities, Arafat Pataron Bulacon, is a senior leader of the Ansa’r Al-Khilafa Philippines, a group under the outlawed Dawlah Islamiya, which operates in the fashion of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.

MAGUINDANAO --- Two more ethnic Teduray tribesmen were killed in separate attacks by armed groups trying to take over ancestral domains of non-Moro indigenous people in South Upi town.

Deric Jan Datuwata and Rejie Maelon were killed one after another on Wednesday and, subsequently, on Thursday in Barangays Lamud and Kuya in South Upi, Maguindanao, respectively.

COTABATO CITY --- The Bangsamoro regional police has deployed 300 more personnel in the city for law enforcement operations. 

Brig. Gen. Samuel Rodriguez, director of the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region, said Monday he personally turned over the group to the city’s local government unit last Friday. 

The Cotabato City police office shall utilize the 300 policemen and policewomen for pandemic checkpoint, security patrol, traffic control and other law-enforcement functions, according to Rodriguez.

GEN. SANTOS CITY – Brig. Gen. Michael John Dubria, police regional direcotr for the Soccsksargen region graced and acted as the guest of honor and speaker during the opening ceremony of Special Weapon And Tactics (SWAT) training held at PRO 12 Granstand on October 20, 2020.

A 45-day rigorous training composed of seven teams with 70 participants coming from different Provincial and City Office and Regional Mobile Force Battalion of Police Regional Office 12.

COTABATO CITY---- A policeman was killed in a brief shootout with a murder suspect he and companions were to serve an arrest warrant in Akaran, North Cotabato on Thursday morning.

Master Sergeant Rofel Manuel of the Arakan municipal police died from multiple gunshot wounds.

The encounter also resulted in the death of Arnold Maligatong, who is facing a murder case in a local court.

COTABATO CITY --- Anti-narcotics agents confiscated P136,000 worth of shabu from a trafficker arrested in Buluan, Maguindanao Friday. 

Juvenal Azurin, director of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, said the suspect, Jaher Guiapal, is now in their custody, to be prosecuted for violation of Republic Act 9165, or Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. 

Azurin said Guiapal was arrested early Friday after selling 20 grams of shabu, or methamphetamine hydrochloride, to non-uniformed PDEA-BARMM agents. 

CAMP SIONGCO, Maguindanao – A drug peddler was killed in a shootout with the government forces during a drug buy-bust operation in Barangay Magsaysay, Polomolok, South Cotabato over the weekend.

The slain suspect was identified as Jabar Almanon.

Combined government operatives of Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency 12, elements of Polomolok Municipal Police together with 5th Special Forces Battalion engaged in an encounter with a drug suspect during a drug buy-bust operation. The suspect sensed that the person he was dealing with illegal drugs was a police undercover.

COTABATO CITY  – The suspects in the murder of a nurse and her brother in Pikit, North Cotabato are now in the custody of Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and will be turned over to local police.

Captain Mautin Pangandingan, Pikit town police chief, said the three suspects, identified as Sardin Mudali, 29, Aladin Ali Bayah, 30 and Gapor Balabagan Datungan, 27, are now in the custody of Commander Hadji Bayam of 108^th MILF base command.

The voluntarily surrendered to the MILF leader after the latter ordered a manhunt against them.

DIPOLOG CITY – Government troops rescued on Wednesday the kidnapped 64-year-old Filipino-American after a gun battle with armed men believed to be members of the Abu Sayyaf Group in the hinterlands of Sirawai town.

Fil-Am Rex Triplitt (not Triplet as earlier reported) was abducted by four armed men clad in fatigue uniforms while on his way home from a remote barangay last September 16. His wife, Celsa Maani, was able to escape during the commotion and reported the incident to authorities.