Village head, poll bet, 3 others held for drugs in Cotabato City

COTABATO CITY—Police authorities on Saturday announced the arrest here of five persons, including a village chair and a candidate for town councilor in Maguindanao, during separate anti-illegal drug operations.

Senior Supt. Roberto Badian, acting city police director, identified three of the arrested suspects as Datu Tua Pangilan, 55, village chair of Tamontaka 2 here; and Brahim Manalasal, a candidate for councilor of Mamasapano town in Maguindanao and his wife, Bainot.

Armed with a search warrant, Badian said policemen, backed by Army Special Forces, raided the house of Pangilan in Barangay Tamontaka 2 here around 6 a.m. Friday, where two hand grenades, a 9-millimeter pistol, and suspected illegal drugs were seized. Two of Pangilan’s men were also arrested during the operation, he said.

Pangilan denied ownership of the illegal drugs seized but insisted his guns were licensed.

He said the raid was politically motivated but declined to elaborate.

At about 9 p.m., also on Friday, elements of the local police and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) raided the house of Manalasal on Virgo Subdivision in Barangay Rosary Heights 8 here.

An M-16 Baby Armalite rifle, a .45-cal. pistol and a 9-mm pistol with ammunition were also seized along with illegal drugs.

Manalasal’s wife denied that the three sachets of illegal drugs were theirs and insisted these were planted by the raiding policemen.

Manalasal, on the other hand, owned the firearms but added that they were licensed.

He told reporters that he kept guns because his family was under threat from a rival family in Mamasapano. He said the family feud they were embroiled in had already resulted in the death of his policeman-brother. RC