Google map of Albarka town, Basilan province. ZAMBOANGA CITY - A pursuit operation is underway for a group of gunmen who figured in a firefight with government troopers that resulted in the death of three soldiers in Basilan province. In a statement Friday, Brig. Gen. Domingo Gobway, Joint Task Force (JTF) - Basilan commander, identified the target of the manhunt as the group of Abaas Jangkatan, a leader of lawless elements in Al-Barka town. According to Gobway, Lt. Col. Cyril Santander, Army's 18th Infantry Battalion (18IB) commander, said a team of the 18IB Charlie Company troopers clashed with a group of Jangkatan while they were on their way to their Hill 510 detachment in Barangay Magcawa, Al-Barka at about 1:30 p.m. Thursday to replace the troops in the outpost. "The firefight lasted for about 10 minutes, after which the enemy withdrew towards Barangay Baguindan, Tipo-Tipo," he said. Gobway declined to release the identities of the slain soldiers pending notificatio
SHOOTOUT. A policeman examines the pieces of evidence seized from two illegal drug traders killed in a shootout Tuesday (Aug. 23, 2022) in the town of Akbar, Basilan province. The shootout ensued when one of the two suspects allegedly pulled a handgun and opened fire upon sensing they were transacting with undercover policemen. (Photo courtesy of the Basilan Police Provincial Office) ZAMBOANGA CITY - Two alleged illegal drug traders were killed in a shootout at sea with joint police and military authorities in Basilan province, a top police official said Wednesday. Colonel Pedro Martirez Jr., Basilan police director, identified the slain suspects as Macsud Cuevas, 45, a resident of Barangay Bohelebong, Tipo Tipo, and Dasman Kilala, a resident of Bubuan Island, Tabuan Lasa. Martirez said the two were killed in a shootout at sea around 12:30 p.m. Tuesday off Barangay Semut, Akbar, Basilan province. The shootout ensued when Cuevas allegedly pulled out a .45-caliber pistol and opened fire
Google map of Basilan Island province. ZAMBOANGA CITY - Troops tracking down Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) bandits have discovered a lair of the Daesh-inspired elements in the hinterlands of Basilan province, a top military official said Monday. Brig. Gen. Domingo Gobway, Joint Task Force (JTF)-Basilan commander, said the ASG hideout was found Sunday and consisted of three houses with foxholes each that can accommodate 10 persons at one time. Troops chanced upon the hideout barely a day after an intense firefight in Barangay Baguindan, Tipo-Tipo, Saturday. The encounter resulted in the wounding of six ASG men and a soldier. "The troops did not find any firearms or war materiel inside the lair," Gobway said in a statement Monday. Saturday's firefight broke out around 8:30 a.m. after government troops received reports about the bandits' presence in Barangay Baguindan. Gobway said the ASG extremists involved in the clash are followers of a certain Abaas, who were responsible fo
LIVELIHOOD AID. Beneficiaries from Basilan pose with the farm inputs they have received. The Western Mindanao Command and the United Nations Development Program distributed livelihood aid to farmers groups from Basilan and Tawi-Tawi during a program in Zamboanga City on Friday (Dec. 3, 2021). (Photo courtesy of Westmincom Public Information Office) ZAMBOANGA CITY - The Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom), in partnership with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), on Friday distributed farm inputs to boost the livelihood of selected beneficiaries from the provinces of Basilan and Tawi-Tawi amid the pandemic. The selected beneficiaries from Barangay Muslim Area in the municipality of Maluso, Basilan province received assorted farming tools and equipment that included two trailers, a power tiller, a gasoline-powered water pump, a water tank and hose, vegetable seeds, and several gardening tools. Amin Pansulani, barangay chairman of Muslim Area, Maluso, received the farm implemen
ZAMBOANGA CITY - Representative Mujiv Hataman of the lone district of Basilan has filed a bill seeking to reapportion the province into two legislative districts. Hataman said in a statement Tuesday that House Bill 10407, which was filed on Monday, would allow the local government to keep up with the increasing population of Basilan province, which is made up of two component cities and 11 municipalities. The two component cities are Isabela and Lamitan, while the 11 towns are Tuburan, Mohammad Ajul, Akbar, Tipo-Tipo, Al-Barka, Ungkaya Pukan, Sumisip, Tabuan-Lasa, Lantawan, Hadji Muhtamad, and Maluso. Hataman said that HB 10407, once passed into law, will increase the number of representations of Basilan province before the House of Representatives. "While the population of Basilan increases, the needed governmental services of the province also grows. It is now appropriate that Basilan should have two Representatives in Congress to attend to the needs of its constituents as well