Doria, in an interview over DXMS, said that the suspect has long been wanted for murder and a series of car thefts and cattle rustling in North Cotabato.
Kambang’s warrant of arrest for murder was issued many years ago by a local court here.
Pikit municipal police chief Elias Dandan said that the raid last Friday was conducted through a tip they received from a number of their informants in the area.
Police and elements of the Army’s 7th Infantry Battalion recovered from Kambang’s hideout a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG).
“The RPG is a trademark of the MILF,” said Dandan.
But Eid Kabalu, spokesman for the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), has expressed doubts as regards the authorities’ manhunt against Kambang.
He said the authorities had long been well-informed about Kambang’s presence in the area.
Kambang’s hideout, Kabalu stressed, was even used as a training ground for a number of former members of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) who had been integrated into the Philippine Army.
“So, why conduct the raid now? They could have arrested Kambang long time ago if they wanted to,” Kabalu said in an interview over DXND.
Kabalu denied Kambang’s membership in the 108th base command of the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF) of the MILF in Pikit town.
Kabalu used as basis the statement made by Hadji Ahmad Bayam, the commander of the 108th base command.
“The MILF has already declared him a notorious person. In fact, we had launched an operation against him,” said Kabalu.