3 items taken from slain SAF commandos returned by farmer
COTABATO CITY – A farmer has handed over three items taken from the 44 police commandos who were killed in Mamasapano, Maguindanao, on Jan. 25.Senior Supt. Rodelio Jocson, Maguindanao police chief, said the farmer placed the items inside a sack to make it appear it contained agricultural products.
“He asked not to be named for security reason,” Jocson said of the farmer who on Sunday turned over a SAF Kevlar helmet, a two-way radio set and ballistic plate of bullet proof vest.
The items are now at the police provincial office in Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao.
Jocson said the farmer was among those who first arrived at the encounter site between PNP Special Action Force and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters in Barangay Tukanalipao.
The farmer said several other villagers also took the fallen policemen’s items like guns, mobile phones, fatigue uniform and combat shoes.
“I hope other farmers or the MILF and BIFF will return the items owned by the slain policemen,” Jocson told the Inquirer.
Forty-four commandos, 18 Moro rebels and three civilians were killed in a police operation that also killed Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan. His Filipino cohort, Abdul Basit Usman, escaped.
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