Mindanaotoday.com | Nabbed ambush suspects facing charges, PNP-10 says
By: Jigger Jerusalem
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – The three persons who were arrested last week by law enforcers in Kalilangan town, Bukidnon and have been tagged as among those responsible for the ambush of Lanao del Sur Gov. Mamintal Adiong Jr. have standing warrants of arrest, a ranking police official said Monday, March 13.
The suspects were identified as Palawa Macalbo, 34; Nagac Baratomo; and Amirodin Mandoc, 29.
Brig. Gen. Lawrence Coop, police regional director for Northern Mindanao, said Macalbo has standing arrest warrants for two counts of murder and frustrated murder.
The warrants, according to reports, were issued by a court in Marawi City in 2019.
He said the warrants of arrest is in connection with the ambush of Phil. Drug Enforcement Agency in Kapai town, Lanao del Sur in 2018, where four agents were killed on the spot.
Coop said Macalbo is a member of the Gandawali Group, said to be involved in marijuana cultivation, robbery, and gunrunning.
During Friday’s arrest, the raiding team was able to confiscate an M16 rifle, a grenade, a rifle grenade, and an M16 magazine with ammunition from the suspects.
Baratomo and Mandoc are now facing charges for illegal possession of explosive.
Coop added the suspects are not residents of Kalilangan and based on information, they fled Lanao del Sur and sought shelter from a friend in said Bukidnon town three days after the ambush of Adiong in Maguing, Lanao del Sur on Feb. 17.
During the ambush, four of Adiong’s security escorts were killed by the attackers.
A day after the shooting, one of the suspected perpetrators, identified as “Otin” was killed by government operatives. (MT)
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