Cop, 2 others nabbed in South Cotabato police raid

KORONADAL CITY – A police officer was nabbed during the two-day “One time, Big time” anti-drug operation conducted by the police in Polomolok, South Cotabato on Wednesday.

Guns and explosives were recovered from the raids, but it missed a group of IS-linked terrorists reported to be hiding in a remote village.

Chief Supt. Marcelo Morales, director for police in Region 12, said Police Officer 2 Ernie M. Sagabay, who is assigned in Polomolok, was caught during the 3 a.m. raid inside the house of drug suspect Reniel Nilong in Barangay Poblacion.

Morales said the visibly surprised Sagabay, who was armed with a .45 caliber pistol, failed to show documents to prove the legal use of his pistol. He was subjected to a drug test, but the results are yet to be made public.

Reniel Nilong, the subject of a search warrant, was not around during the operation.

Morales identified the other arrested suspects as Adam Omar, 41, who yielded shabu, drug paraphernalia and rifle grenade; and a lady drug peddler identified as April Rose Mollino from General Santos City.

A separate raiding team also found an abandoned house in Sitio Kulube, Barangay Lapu, Polomolok, South Cotabato, which was reportedly used as the hideout of Dawlah-Islamiyah-Maguid Subgroup (former Ansar-Al Khilafa Philippines).

Supt. Aldrin Gonzales, speaking for PRO-12, said police recovered documents detailing the armed group’s operations, which is considered as “high intelligence value,” live ammunition for M-16 Armalite rifle, bond paper with ISIS emblems, fatigue uniforms, cellphones, and communication sets.

Morales said the operation led to the recovery of 14 pieces 40 mm rifle grenades, one fragmentation grenade, a .38 caliber revolver, a 9mm Norinco pistol, various ammunition, and 23 sachets of shabu and marijuana from the suspects.

Government operatives, including police, anti-drug units, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and Army’s 27th Infantry Battalion members, were to serve search warrants against 13 persons but only two were nabbed. The arrested police officer was not in included in the warrant. /ee