Google map of Pikit, North Cotabato. COTABATO CITY - Police have launched a manhunt against two riding-in-tandem gunmen who ambushed and seriously injured an off-duty police officer in the North Cotabato town of Pikit. "We have persons of interest in this case, and we're continuing our investigation," Maj. Maxim Peralta, Pikit town police chief, said in a phone interview Thursday. Peralta identified the victim as Pat. Santhy Ben Marcelo Buagas, 25, of Alamada, North Cotabato. Buagas was alone and in civilian clothes on board his motorcycle when two men on a motorbike opened fire along the national highway in Barangay Batulawan, Pikit at about 1 p.m. Wednesday. Responding police officers rushed Buagas to the Pikit hospital and later transferred him to Kidapawan City. The off-duty police officer belongs to the 3rd Regional Mobile Force Battalion of the Police Regional Office-Soccsksargen (PRO-12). It was unclear if Buagas was armed with his service firearm at the time of th
File photo of slain Cotabato City public order and safety officer Rolen Balquin. COTABATO CITY - Police authorities in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) announced Wednesday the creation of a special probe team to fast-track the investigation on the recent murder of retired police, Brig. Gen. Rolen Balquin, the city's public safety officer. Speaking over DXMS Radyo here, Major Mark Joseph Porras, spokesperson of Cotabato City Police Office, said the creation of the Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) -Balquin was approved by Brig. Gen. Arthur Cabalona, the BARMM police director. Balquin previously served as city police director. Colonel Jeffrey Fernandez, BARMM police deputy director for operations, was named SITG supervisor, while Colonel Rommel Javier, city police director, the SITG commander. Balquin, who retired in 2017 with the rank of brigadier general, was named as Cotabato City Public Order and Safety chief and served in that position until he w
The Police Regional Office 12 (Soccsksargen) main building in General Santos City (Photo courtesy of PRO-12) KORONADAL CITY - The Police Regional Office (PRO) 12 (Soccsksargen) has called on gun owners and enthusiasts to cooperate with the implementation of the election gun ban as strict police checkpoints will be set up across the region. In a statement Saturday, Brig. Gen. Alexander Tagum, PRO-12 director, said he has issued an order to police field units to arrest violators of the nationwide gun ban to be implemented from January 9 to June 8 this year. "I am also directing all police field and station commanders in Soccsksargen to check crime-prone and dangerous areas and intensify their foot patrol and mobile operations," Tagum said. "The PRO-12 urges all gun owners and enthusiasts to abide by the implementation of the gun ban (so) as to avoid facing the consequences of their actions." The implementation of the nationwide gun ban, through Commission on Elections
SEIZED. Some of the more than 400 motorbikes and vehicles found in a warehouse in Pikit, North Cotabato are being examined by police personnel following a pre-dawn raid in a remote village of Gukotan on Wednesday (Dec. 29, 2021). Five persons, all alleged members of a carnapping syndicate, were killed in the clash with combined police and military forces during the incident.(Photo courtesy of PRO-12) PIKIT, North Cotabato - Police and military authorities have launched a continuing manhunt operation against other members of a carnapping syndicate-cum-private armed group following an encounter here that left five persons dead and five others injured, police reported Thursday. In a statement, Lt. Col. Maria Joyce Birrey, spokesperson of the Police Regional Office in Soccsksargen (Region 12), said a joint Army and police operation is ongoing in North Cotabato and Maguindanao provinces after the remaining members of the syndicate fled during the pre-dawn raid Wednesday on a suspected wareh
SEIZED. The boxes of PHP2.4 million worth of smuggled cigarettes seized by the Libungan town police in North Cotabato on Friday (Nov. 26, 2021). Brig. Gen. Alexander Tagum, the police director for Region 12, lauded the Libungan police in a statement Monday (Nov. 29, 2021) for carrying out his order to put a stop to the cigarette smuggling activities in the province. (Photo courtesy of Libungan MPS) LIBUNGAN, North Cotabato - Police in North Cotabato have stepped up their operation against smugglers who have penetrated markets here for their cigarette contrabands. In a statement Monday, Brig. Gen. Alexander Tagum, police director for Region 12, issued an order requiring all police units in North Cotabato to strengthen their checkpoints to put a stop to the entry of smuggled cigarettes in the area. This came about after police operatives in this town seized over the weekend some PHP2.4 million worth of smuggled cigarettes at the town public market. "I commend Libungan municipal poli