Cops nab man with handgun inside polling center in North Cotabato

MIDSAYAP, NORTH COTABATO — Police providing security in one of the polling places in North Cotabato on Wednesday morning arrested a man for carrying a handgun while inside the voting precinct in today’s plebiscite for the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL).

Chief Supt. Eliseo Tam Rasco, police regional director for Region 12, identified the man as Mohammad Sawan Kutok, 32, farmer and a resident of Barangay Dunguan, Aleosan, North Cotabato.

Rasco who was here to personally supervise police security in the plebiscite, said Kutok, a registered voter of precinct No. 26-A of Sitio Bakyawan in Dungguan, entered the polling precinct at 7:40 a.m.

Election officials noticed Kutok carrying a sling bag that prompted them to alert the police and military in the vicinity.

Taken from Kutok was an unlicensed cal. 38 revolver loaded with eight bullets.

Rasco said Kutok would be charged with violation of the election gun ban.

Rasco is validating report that Kutok was a member of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. /lzb