Two alleged leaders of an organized terror group that pledged allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) were killed by authorities when they reportedly resisted arrest in Barangay Aplaya, Hagonoy, Davao del Sur at 11:20 p.m. Sunday.
Sr. Supt. Ferlu Silvio, the officer-in-charge of the Davao del Sur Police Provincial Office (DSPPO), identified the suspects as brothers Norhan and Norton Sinapan, the Davao del Sur cell leaders of the Dawlah Islamiyah. The two suspects, said to be bomb experts, reportedly recruited members in Davao region and were involved in the Marawi siege.
In a press briefing held yesterday at DSPPO, Silvio revealed that there might be a possibility that the two targeted Davao City because it is the hometown of President Rodrigo Duterte.
“We successfully neutralized them in accordance with the law because we have search warrants,” he said.
The combined police and military team served two search warrants for violation of RA 10591 (illegal possession of firearms).
During the implementation, Silvio said the suspects refused arrest, forcing them to fight back.
The suspects sustained gunshot wounds in different parts of their body. They were rushed to the hospital but did not survive.
Silvio said they really want the suspects to be arrested alive because “we still want to get some information from them.”
The operatives were able to recover one caliber .45 M1911 pistol, serial number 532861, loaded with a magazine with six live ammunition.
Also recovered were three fired cartridge cases of caliber .45, one fired cartridge case of caliber 9mm, two fragmentation grenades, an improvised explosive device component, two ISIS banner flags, a belt bag and a sling bag.
Silvio supervised the joint team composed of elements from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) - Davao Sur Provincial Field Unit, DSPPO’s Provincial Intelligence Branch, Hagonoy Municipal Police Station, Davao del Sur Special Weapons and Tactics, 1104th Regional Mobile Force Battalion, Davao Sur Explosive Ordnance and Regional Intelligence Unit, together with personnel from the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP), 39th Infantry Battalion and the Military Intelligence Group.
Silvio told reporters that when he assumed his post last September he directed his chiefs of police to intensify monitoring against lawless elements, especially in the coastal areas.
He said there is possibility that the suspects entered through the coastal areas, the reason why they are continuously monitoring the coastal areas in the province from Sta. Cruz to Malita.
Silvio also said the intelligence work of the Armed Forces of the Philippines helped them in tracking down the suspects.
Assembling bombs
Lt. Col. Rhojun Rosales, the commander of 39th Infantry Battalion, said the suspects were assembling bombs, probably for Davao, General Santos, and Digos.
Rosales said Dawlah Islamiyah is one of those who initiated the Marawi Siege.
“We are still liaising with government intelligence unit on the extent of their organizing activity or recruitment for that matter,” Rosales said.
Rosales said Norhan, an imam, conducted private indoctrination to their potential recruits.
The battalion commander said that together with the police, they will watch and act on such activity to counter extremists.
For now, the police and military have programs on anti-terrorism and are intensifying intelligence gathering and support of the community.
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