Cops hunt down 2 men of slain armed group leader in Maguindanao

From the Philippine News Agency (Jan 25, 2021): Cops hunt down 2 men of slain armed group leader in Maguindanao (By Edwin Fernandez)

COTABATO CITY – Police have launched a province-wide manhunt against two wanted persons who escaped during law enforcement operations that left a police officer and 12 wanted men dead in Maguindanao.

Brig. Gen. Samuel Rodriguez, police director in the Bangsamoro Region in Muslim Mindanao (PRO-BARMM), said the police and Philippine Marine forces are hunting down Hazer Mama and Jason Guiabel, henchmen of slain ex-village chair Pendatun Talusan of Limbo in Sultan Kudarat town.

Talusan died together with 11 of his men during a five-hour firefight with policemen in Barangay Limbo on Saturday.

A police team was serving Talusan with warrants ranging from murder, illegal drug trading, carnapping, robbery, and extortion when fired upon by the armed group around 3 a.m.

A police officer, identified as Staff Sergeant Elenel Pido of the Special Action Force unit of PRO-BARMM, died after being hit in the neck in the initial exchange of gunfire.

A fierce firefight ensued in the area from 3 a.m. to 8 a.m., sending many villagers fleeing their homes. “Manhunt had been ongoing,” said Maj. Esmael Madin, head of Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group–Maguindanao.

Aside from Pendatun Talusan, the other slain crime suspects were identified as Datu Abdullah Talusan, Datu Bembi Talusan, Ranny Talusan, Datu Abdul-Mubarek Talusan, Kadapi Esran, Ayot Began, Abdul Patah Buday, Samsudin Ali, Bulod Adam, Buto Minandang, and Sangkupan Minandang.

Abdulkarim Kamal Usop, another follower of Pendatun, was arrested.

After the bloody law enforcement operation, police found six M16 rifles, an M-14 rifle, a FAL rifle, a .22-caliber rifle, two. 45-caliber pistols, an improvised .50-caliber Barret sniper rifle, and ammunition from the slain armed group members.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1128417