-
TACURONG CITY (MindaNews / 17 Aug) – A man was killed while another was arrested during operations by the Regional Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Task Force (RAIDSTF) in Barangay New Isabela here and in adjacent President Quirino town in Sultan Kudarat dawn on Tuesday.
Supt. Maximo Sebastian, RAIDSOTF chief, identified the slain man as Russel Hamid Paglas, also known as “Chokay Piang,” a resident of Yellow Village in Barangay New Isabela.
Sebastian said Paglas resisted arrest and traded shots with approaching lawmen at 4 a.m., triggering a brief gun battle. Paglas was injured and rushed by police to a hospital but expired even before reaching the medical facility.
Seized from Paglas were two caliber .45 pistols and a hand grenade.
Sebastian said the raid was covered by a search warrant.
In the municipality of President Quirino, police arrested Leopoldo Mange, a resident of Barangay Estrella.
Seized from him was a caliber 9mm Beretta pistol with police markings and a caliber .45 pistol and 16 motorbikes.
Also in the warrant was SPO2 Sueb Utap but he was not in his home when the police raiding team arrived. Police operatives seized a caliber .45 pistol and ammunition from his residence. Utap is assigned with PNP-ARMM.
Sebastian said the house of one Datu Ismael Mangudadatu (not the governor of Maguindanao, whose name is spelled Esmael) and his wife Bai Nora in Barangay San Pablo, Tacurong City was also raided where the police seized two small sachets of shabu and a rifle grenade. The couple was not home. (Ferdinandh Cabrera / MindaNews)