PNP hunts armed men in ambush-slay of 2 cops in Maguindanao town

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police has launched a regionwide pursuit in Central Mindanao against the group behind an ambush that killed a town police chief and his driver in Maguindanao province on Tuesday.

Mobile force companies of the Maguindanao Provincial Police Office were leading the hunt in the areas surrounding Barangay Kapinpilan in Ampatuan town.

Police Regional Mobile Forces of Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) and Soccsksargen (South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and General Santos) were also alerted to intercept a heavily armed group led by Abdulnasser Saptula Guianid, who was believed to be responsible for the killing of Lt. Reynaldo Samson, Ampatuan town police chief, and his security aide and driver, Corporal Salipudin Endab.

Wounded in the attack were Master Sgt. Renante Quinalayo, and Corporals Rogelio dela Cuesta Jr. and Marc Clint Dayaday.

Leak?

Brig. Gen. John Guyguyon, director of the BARMM police, said Samson and his men were on their way to Barangay Kapinpilan around 10 a.m. to serve an arrest warrant on Kamir Kambal, who is wanted for robbery and intimidation when they were waylaid by the armed group.

Guyguyon said someone might have leaked information on the operation, prompting the gunmen to target the police team.

But he assured the public that the attack would not hamper the police’s “one-time, big-time” operations against wanted persons in the BARMM, and would “do everything to keep the peace and order” in the region.

—REPORTS FROM DEXTER CABALZA AND EDWIN O. FERNANDEZ 

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