Lawmen search for drugs in houses of Talitay politicians

MAGUINDANAO --- Tension spread around Talitay town as anti-narcotics agents, backed by soldiers, search for drugs in the house there of Mayor Muntasir Sabal just after dawn Friday.Sabal was out of town when policemen, agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and personnel of the Army’s 6thInfantry Division raided his houses in the center of the municipality, located along the Liguasan Delta.Automatic gunshots reverberated through the municipal center as attack helicopters fired machineguns on the ground as part of the clearing maneuver meant to ensure the safety of the lawmen dispatched to carry out the law-enforcement operation.Lt. Col. Markton Abo, spokesman of the Army’s 6thInfantry Division, confirmed the incident, which caused panic among residents in the town proper of Talitay.He said the raiding teams were also to search for methamphetamine hydrochloride (shabu) in the houses of Sabal’s brother, Abdulwahab, who is Talitay’s incumbent vice mayor.Abdulwahab was arrested in early September at the Maguindanao airport in Datu Odin Sinsuat town by anti-narcotics agents from the national headquarters of the Philippine National Police and has been detained since.The Sabals were earlier tagged narco-politicians by President Rodrigo Duterte. The operation was coordinated properly with the joint ceasefire committee because there are forces of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in Talitay, Abo said.Abo said also subject of the search were the houses of an incumbent member of the Regional Assembly in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and the chairman of the association of barangay captains in Talitay who are both related by blood to the Sabals. Their houses are also located in the same municipality, Abo said.He said the operation was carried out based on warrants issued by a court.