TIMRA Reports

COTABATO CITY --- Policemen on Friday uprooted 25, 489 marijuana shrubs planted in rows in a secluded hinterland in Maguing town in Lanao del Sur.

Brig. Gen. John Guyguyon, director of the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region, told reporters Sunday the teams involved in the operation in Barangay Bato-Bato immediately set the marijuana plants on fire after collecting specimen to be used as evidence in prosecuting its propagators.

Guyguyon said their anti-narcotics operatives placed at no less than P5 million the value of the confiscated marijuana plants.

COTABATO CITY - Authorities rescued in separate operations over the weekend 15 human trafficking victims bound for Malaysia without passports, promised with good employment there by recruiters.  

Brig. Gen. John Guyguyon, director of the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region, and Army Lt. Gen. Roy Galido of the Western Mindanao Command separately told reporters here Tuesday that the victims are now in the custody of the social welfare office of the local government unit in Bongao municipality.

COTABATO CITY -- A soldier killed four companions and wounded another in a shooting rampage inside Camp Evangelista of the 4^th Infantry Division in Cagayan de Oro City before dawn Saturday.

The soldier who went berserk, Pvt. Johmar Villabito, was, subsequently, shot dead by responding Pvt. Mark Anthony Aguinid and Pfc. Josiah Estrada.

COTABATO CITY --- A confessed “lookout” in bombings of buses and arson attacks by the New People’s Army surrendered in Sarangani province Thursday. 

Major Alex Rellira, commander of the Army’s 6^th Infantry Division, said Saturday the NPA member, whom he initially identified only as Jurib for security reasons, turned himself in to the anti-terror Task Force GenSan. 

The NPA has a reputation for attacking members who have surrendered to the government and their relatives. 

COTABATO CITY - Authorities foiled last weekend an attempt to smuggle 4,000 liters of diesel from Malaysia to Navotas City in the far north via Tawi-Tawi province.

Brig. Gen. John Guyguyon, director of the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region, said Tuesday the boat carrying the fuel, the M/V Marnia Penang, was immediately impounded by combined personnel of the Taganak Municipal Police Station, the Maritime Police and the 112^th Marine Company of the 12^th Marine Battalion.

MANILA – Three ranking officials of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army (CPP-NPA) were arrested in a police operation in General Santos City, the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) said on Monday.

PAGADIAN CITY - A barangay chairman and four companions were killed in an ambush in Sirawai, Zamboanga del Norte Thursday.

Col. Glen Dulawan, Zamboanga del Norte provincial police director, said Friday the likely target of the attack could be Allie Lomigues Manangca, chairman of Barangay Balubuan in Sirawai town in the third district of Zamboanga del Norte.

The ambush also left Manangca’s siblings Ani and Alfahad, a relative named Anisa Jaji Manangca, and a companion, Shilben Musaddin Basa, dead.

ZAMBOANGA CITY – At least 21 members of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) have surrendered to authorities in Sulu, a police official said Thursday.

Col. Richard Verceles, operations chief of the Area Police Command-Western Mindanao, said the ASG bandits turned themselves in on Wednesday at Camp Col. Julasirim Kasim in Barangay Asturias, Jolo.

Maj. Gen. Edgar Alan Okubo, Philippine National Police-Special Action Force (PNP-SAF) chief, welcomed the ASG surrenderers in a ceremony at the headquarters of the 7th Special Action Battalion (SAB) at Camp Kasim, Verceles said.

GENERAL SANTOS CITY - A police unit promoting interfaith solidarity among southerners on Wednesday lectured 25 members of local youth groups on how to prevent the spread of violent extremism.

The activity, held in a function facility here, was jointly facilitated by the Integrated Community and Cultural Affairs Division of the General Santos City government and the Salaam Police Center Eastern Mindanao Field Unit.

COTABATO CITY - Thousands flock around the Lamitan City Hall every night since last week to watch the three-dimension Christmas decorations and lights that adorn the building.

It is something first in the 30-year history of the defunct Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and in the fledging Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, established only in 2019.

Lamitan City is in Basilan province whose territory also covers Isabela City and 11 other municipalities.