PIGCAWAYAN, North Cotabato, Oct. 16 (PNA) — As the police here and in North Cotabato intensified the campaign versus riding-in-tandem crimes and the proliferation of firearms, two persons were separately arrested Thursday during police checkpoints, authorities today said.
A man from Maguindanao was arrested in a highway in Barangay Bual, Tulunan, North Cotabato Thursday morning for gun possession.
Senior Inspector Ronnie Cordero, Tulunan police chief, said Kaliga Usman Kamsa, 21 of Paglas, Maguindanao was on a motorbike when flagged down by police manning checkpoints in Barangay Bual. While police were checking on his motorcycle’s documents, they noticed something protruding on Kamsa’s back.
A check showed it was a cal. 45 pistol with a magazine loaded with bullets. Kamsa could not present documents legalizing gun possession.
But he told the Tulunan PNP he was a police asset of Maguindanao police, a claim ignored by law enforcers since no document could support his claim.
Kamsa is now detained at Tulunan PNP lock up cell and is charged with illegal possession of firearms.
In Pigcawayan, elements of the Regional Public Safety Battalion and local PNP arrested a wanted man in Barangay Poblacion 3 at about 10 a.m.
Police identified the suspect as Rene Jay Toledo, 28, of Barangay Panatan, Pigcawayan who was facing child abuse charges before Regional Trial Court Branch 18 in Midsayap, North Cotabato.
Armed with arrest warrant issued by Judge George Jabido of RTC-18, police raided the suspect’s safe house. He did not resist arrest.
Earlier, Senior Supt. Danilo Peralta, North Cotabato police provincial director, ordered all police units in the province to take measures against lawless elements, riding in tandem suspects and the proliferation of firearms.
This, after two separate bombing incidents that rocked Pikit and Libungan towns. (PNA)