Suspects in burning of trucks in Bukidnon charged

From the Philippine News Agency (Mar 20): Suspects in burning of trucks in Bukidnon charged
 

CAMP EVANGELISTA, Cagayan De Oro City –- Three suspects in the burning of trucks along the Davao-Bukidnon highway are now facing a string of cases filed with the court in Bukidnon, the military said on Friday.

Lt. Patrick Martinez of the Army’s Public Affairs Division here, said that Henry P. Omandam a.k.a Empoy, 19, Vergel Pitogo a.k.a Marmar, 23, and John Rey O. Flores, 16, were charged with illegal possession of firearms and unlawful possession of high explosives and ammunition.

The three were suspected to be among the group that burned the seven trucks, most of them transporting commodities, bound for Davao and Cagayan De Oro City, last March 8 along the Davao-Bukidnon highway.

Aside from illegal possession of firearms and unlawful possession of high explosives, the suspects were also charged with frustrated murder in connection with the ambuscade of responding law enforcers where seven police officers were wounded.

Martinez said that elements of the joint military and police collared the suspects in the farming village of Palacapao in Quezon, Bukidnon on the same day when the seven trucks were torched in the area by about 50 armed men believed to be members of the New People’s Army (NPA).

He said that residents in the area informed the military and police of the presence of the suspects in Palacapao, which prompted the elements of the military and police to conduct a joint operation that resulted in the arrest of the suspects.

Martinez said that the local Philippine National Police (PNP) in Quezon, Bukidnon has filed the charges against the three suspects in the municipal trial court in Quezon.

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