COTABATO CITY —Police arrested a candidate for town councilor in Maguindanao and his wife in an anti-illegal drug operation on the suspects’ house Friday night.
In a separate raid, a barangay chairperson was also arrested for illegal possession of firearms and explosives.
Elements from the Cotabato City police raided the house of Brahim Manalasal and wife Bainot in Virgo Subdivision, Cotabato City at about 9 p.m. and seized unlicensed high-powered firearms, including Bush master, a Baby M-16 Armalite Rifle, a Cal.-45 hand gun and a 9mm pistol.
Raid on Brahim Manalasal house in Cotabato City. —Ferdh Cabrera
Manalasal claimed the firearms were licensed, and that he was able to secure exemption from the Comelec gun ban from an Army intelligence unit and duly signed by officers.
Manalasal, who is running for town councilor of Mamasapano town in Maguidnanao, said an armed group back home threatens his family that is wy he has firearms to defend themselves.
His wife’s brother, a police officer, was killed in what he described as an emerging family feud.
He did not name the family Manalasal was in conflict with.
Police questioned Manalasal’s gun ban exemption since an Army intelligence officer cannot issue permits for exemption from election gun ban as the Comelec is the sole authority on the matter.
Aside from firearms, the raiding team also seized six sachets of suspected methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu. Wife Bainot denied they owned the illegal drugs.
On the other hand, police elements from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), together with Army’s 5th Special Forces and Special Action Force of police, on Friday morning raided the house of a barangay chairperson and yielded two hand grenades and a 9mm pistol.
Senior Supt. Roberto Badian, acting city police director, identified the village official as Datu Tua Pangilan, chairperson of Barangay Tamontaka 2 in Cotabato City.
Pangilan denied he owned the gun and described the raid as “politically motivated.”
“The grenades and the gun were all planted, you know its election time,” he said.
