ARRESTED. The firearms laid down by the 12 gunmen arrested inside a Pandag town, Maguindanao del Sur on Monday (Aug. 26, 2024). Lt. Col. Roberto Betita, commander of the Army’s 1st Mechanized Infantry Battalion, said Tuesday the gunmen did not resist arrest and laid their guns peacefully. (Image courtesy of 6ID)
COTABATO CITY – Soldiers and police, responding to a tip from a civilian informant, arrested Monday a dozen men for possession of unlicensed guns in Pandag town in Maguindanao del Sur.
“The soldiers and police officers from Pandag municipal police office quickly responded to an intelligence information about the gunmen in Barangay Poblacion Pandag,” Lt. Col. Roberto Betita, commander of the Army’s 1st Mechanized Infantry Battalion, said in a statement Tuesday.
“The information was an undetermined number of armed men were inside an abandoned building in Barangay Poblacion Pandag,” Betita said, adding that the gunmen did not resist arrest and laid their guns peacefully.
Firearms seized from the group included two M16 rifles, five .45-caliber caliber pistols, and ammunition.
Police are still determining the group’s affiliation, but Pandag is among the areas where the Dawlah-linked Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) operate.
Brigadier General Andre Santos, commander of the Army's 1st Mechanized Brigade, commended the civilian who provided a tip to thwart potential terrorist activities by the gunmen.
“We appreciate the efforts of civilians in helping state forces fight terrorism in their localities,” Santos said.
For his part, Maj. Gen. Antonio Nafarrete, commander of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division, reiterated the government's peace offers, adding that "your acceptance will be for your advantage". (PNA)
