2 village officials nabbed for illegal gun possession in Maguindanao

SHARIFF AGUAK, MAGUINDANAO – Police arrested here Tuesday afternoon two village council members of Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao for possession of unlicensed guns.

One village official was the target of an arrest warrant while the other was arrested for displaying his rifle during a law enforcement operation.

Members of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (CIDG-ARMM), Regional Police Mobile Group and Shariff Aguak police office arrested Hadji Salipada Lidasan, a barangay kagawad of Barangay Poblacion, Shariff Aguak as they implemented “Oplan Paglalansag Omega.”

Judge Bansawan Ibrahim of the Regional Trial Court Branch 13 issued an arrest warrant against Lidasan for alleged violation of the Comprehensive Law on Firearms and Ammunition and violation of the law on illegal possession of explosives.

Chief Inspector Esmael Madin, head of the CIDG-field office in Maguindanao, said the law enforcers recovered three Armalite rifles and ammunition.

Lidasan did not resist arrest but said he was keeping the firearms for self-defense and security purposes.

While the police were still auditing the recovered rifles, they noticed another village councilman, identified as Badrudin Kutin, closely watching in a house nearby.

Madin said Kutin was holding an M-16 Armalite rifle but could not present the necessary documents, prompting the police to arrest him.

Both village officials, who belonged to the Akmad Ampatuan private armed group, are now detained at the CIDG-ARMM lock-up cell in Cotabato City.

Their arrest came while Shariff Aguak was celebrating its 55th foundation anniversary.