AMAS, Kidapawan City, (PNA) — Police authorities here have intensified checkpoints in identified crime prone areas in North Cotabato’s 17 towns and a city as they have expressed alarm over the rash of shooting incidents involving elected barangay officials the past week.
Senior Supt. Danilo Peralta, North Cotabato police chief, has ordered the police chief of Mlang, North Cotabato, Senior Insp. Rolando Dillera, to identify, arrest and file appropriate charges against the killers of Barangay Libo-o chairman Eduardo Panes last Saturday.
Panes, reelected unopposed in the October 28 polls as village chair, was driving his motorcycle in Barangay Bagontapay, Mlang when gunned down by two men riding tandem on a motorbike, Dillera said.
He died on the spot.
The killing of Panes was among the rash of shooting in town that already victimized two of Mlang Mayor Joselito Pinol’s security aides.
Pinol has convened Monday morning the municipal peace and order council which he chairs to “get to the bottom” of the series of shooting.
Peralta also directed Kidapawan City police director Supt. Leo Ajero to file charges against the suspects in the murder of newly elected village councilor Rolando Macrohom of Barangay Malinan and the wounding of his aide Efren Quenio.
Peralta, quoting report from Ajero, said Macrohom was riding tandem with Quenio en route to Barangay Malinan last Friday when shot by two men riding tandem on a separate motorbike in Sitio San Vicente.
Ajero said investigation showed that the suspects were after the victim’s high powered firearms.
Macrohom was a former member of the Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit while Quenio was an active member of Barangay Police Action Team of Kidapawan City.
The suspects took the victims’ Garand Rifle, an M-14 rifle and a cal. 45 pistol.
Peralta reminded the police that the gun ban remains in effect until Nov. 12 and that police chiefs who failed to prevent similar incidents in the future will be subjected to disciplinary action.