Police checking leads on ambush on PDEA agents

LANAO DEL SUR, Philippines — Local leaders want the police to check on a local drug ring that they said are to blame for the fatal ambush on five anti-narcotics agents in Kapai, Lanao del Sur last week.

Meranao leaders told reporters Monday that there has been talk, mostly from residents of Kapai and Tagoloan towns, that the ambushers used to be henchmen for a former municipal mayor rumored to have been engaged in the drug trade. They also said the former mayor is not involved.

Local officials said the ambush that killed Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency personnel Kenneth Tabulo, Binzo Dipolla, Diobel Pacinio, Kristina Mae Torlao and Laurice Joy Amar, could be in retaliation for the death of an alleged drug dealer while in government custody several months ago.

The detainee was reportedly killed while attempting to attack government personnel.

Police validating tips

Chief Superintendent Graciano Mijares of Police Regional Office-ARMM said Monday that they are validating tips on the identities of the suspects.

Mijares said the PRO-ARMM is thankful to Lanao del Sur Gov. Soraya Alonto-Adiong and members of the provincial peace and order council for helping in the investigation.

“We just need to give them time to wrap up everything. I can assure the PDEA and the people of Lanao del Sur that everything is being done for justice to reign,” Mijares said.

Hataman and the vice governor of Lanao del Sur, Mamintal Adiong, Jr., separately offered on Saturday rewards for any information leading to the arrest of the suspects.

Cash assistance released

The remains of the slain agents are now in a chapel in Camp Siongco, headquarters of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division, in Maguindanao.

The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao's Humanitarian Emergency Assistance and Response Team, or HEART, has released P100,000 in cash assistance to the families of each of the five slain agents.

The monetary grant was delivered to the Camp Siongco chapel on Sunday morning as ordered by ARMM Gov. Mujiv Hataman.

“We were saddened by the incident. We want their killers jailed for their heinous offense,” Hataman said on Monday.