Police, army conduct 24/7 checkpoint operations in Maguindanao-Sultan Kudarat border

From the Philippine News Agency (Oct 1): Police, army conduct 24/7 checkpoint operations in Maguindanao-Sultan Kudarat border

Police and Army authorities here have taken measures to prevent the transport of improvised bombs, unlicensed guns and illegal drugs by putting up 24/7 checkpoints along the Sultan Kudarat-Maguindanao highway.

Chief Insp. Bryan Bernardino, Esperanza town police chief, and 1Lt. Jano Reyes, commanding officer of the 57th Infantry Battalion Alpha Company, led the inspection of all types of vehicles on a rotation basis to ensure the 24/7 checkpoint operation in Barangay Saliao, Esperanza, Sultan Kudarat.

Bernardino said in a statement that the move was in response to the directive of Philippine National Police Chief Dir. Gen. Ronald dela Rosa.

The 24/7 checkpoint operation also aims to monitor the movement of Private Armed Groups (PAGs), criminal groups, guns for hire, terrorists of the Abu Sayyaf Group and Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), and kidnap-for-ransom gangs at the borders of Sultan Kudarat and Maguindanao.

Esperanza is the last town of Sultan Kudarat in its border with Maguindanao where suspected bombers, illegal drug pushers and kidnap-for-ransom gangs emanate.

On Thursday, residents alerted the police about the presence of a suspicious bag left unattended in front of a roadside restaurant. A check by police bomb experts showed the bag was not a bomb.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=927866