Councilor nabbed for drugs, gun

COTABATO CITY , Philippines  – Charges were filed on Friday against a town councilor in Maguindanao for possession of illegal drugs and an unlicensed gun.

Operatives of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in this city collared Fatima Baliwan, president of the Association of Barangay Captains, on Thursday. She is an ex-officio member of the Northern Kabuntalan council.

Also nabbed were Baliwan’s son Norodin and companions Anwar Guiamelon and a certain Basir.  They are being held at the PDEA headquarters in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) in this city.

Bryan Babang, PDEA-ARMM director, said Baliwan is on their drug watchlist.

Baliwan’s husband Muslimin is former mayor of Northern Kabuntalan.