Bombing suspect, bomb making materials seize in N. Cotabato
KIDAPAWAN CITY – Police and military forces in
North Cotabato arrested Tuesday dawn a man believed to be member of a bomb
mercenary group operating in Central Mindanao region.
Senior Supt. Emmanuel Peralta,
North Cotabato police provincial director, said raid by joint police and 7th
Infnatry Battalion troopers was conducted at 4 a.m. in Baangay Inas, Mlang,
North Cotabato and led to the arrest of Jokrie Andong Buisan.
Peralta said the raiding team was looking for Guiamadel
Sandigan and his brother Anwar Sandigan based on arrest warrant for violation
of Republic Act 10591 and RA 9516 or illegal possession of explosives.
Both suspects managed to
elude arrest as they were already out of their homes in Barangay Dungguan and
Barangay Inas, both in Mlang when government forces arrived.
However, Peralta said, Buisan
was found in the house of Anwar Sandigan while holding a live fragmentation
grenade.
Peralta said the raid was conducted in the presence of Jose
Sagadan Sr, chairperson of Barangay Dungguan.
Seized from the houses of the suspects were one M-67 fragmentation
grenade, bomb making materials like blasting caps, detonating cord, Nokia
mobile phone, batteries, two motorcycles with questionable registration, a
home-made Uzi sub-machinegun.
Peralta said manhunt is still going on against Sandigan siblings
while Buisan was brought to Mlang police lock up cell undergoing tactical
interrogation.
Police and military authorities could not say if Buisan or the
Sandigan siblings were involved in bombings in Mlang and Kabacan, both in North
Cotabato last year.