ISULAN, Sultan Kudarat — Police in Sultan Kudarat arrested Friday the vice mayor of Palimbang town and seized high-powered guns during a raid.
Two other persons were arrested for gun possession in the same town.
Sr. Supt. Raul Supiter, Sultan Kudarat police, said joint elements from the provincial police office and the Regional Public Safety Battalion and SK Provincial Public Safety Battalion carried out the arrest of Vice Mayor Haron Sabiwang, 57, in his home in Barangay Medol at around 6 a.m. Friday.
The arresting team, headed by Sr. Supt. Michael Lebanan and Supt. Salman Sapal, served the search warrant of arrest against the official.
Seized from Sabiwang’s home were one homemade grenade launcher, one M203 ammunition and a .45 caliber pistol.
“The vice mayor did not resist arrest,” Supiter said, adding that the guns seized were unlicensed.
Sabiwang was believed to be maintaining a private armed group. Also arrested in a separate raid in Barangay Badiangon, also in Palimbang, were Abubakar Abdullah and Abdullah Saddam for possession of unlicensed firearms. Seized from them were two .45 caliber pistols.
Supiter said Abdullah has a pending warrant of arrest for violation of Republic Act 10591 or the Illegal Possession of Firearms and Explosives Act.
The raid on the vice mayor’s house was conducted a week after the Sultan Kudarat police raided the house of Palimbang Mayor Abubakar Maulana and seized a fragmentation grenade and an M14 rifle with ammunition.
The police, armed with search warrants, failed to find the mayor, as he was believed to have been tipped off about the raid.
Earlier this week, police also raided the house of Zahara Maulana in Barangay Labangal, Gen. Santos City on suspicion she had unlicensed guns but no firearms were found. Edwin Fernandez/PNA-northboundasia.com