AUTHORITIES are now digging deeper on the possible involvement of the arrested barangay chairperson in Bukidnon to an organized criminal group.
According to the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG)-Northern Mindanao, they are still verifying reports that Cherry Barros, the village chief of Kinawe in Libona town, is connected with the Kuratong Baleleng (KB), a criminal group based in Misamis Occidental, they thought to have long been disbanded following the deaths of its leaders.
Barros, along with 18 others, was arrested by a team of police and military operatives in a Saturday dawn raid.
Individuals inside the Barros compound, where the barangay chair and her family is residing in Zone 3, Kinawe, opened fire at the government agents as they were about to serve the search warrant for Barros.
Three soldiers were wounded in that confrontation, while 19 individuals were apprehended and various types of firearms and ammunition were confiscated at the crime scene.
The village chief’s husband, Tarcisio, and a still unidentified person were said to have escaped following a firefight between some of the suspects and the law enforcers.
Confiscated from the suspects were various types of firearms, including a shotgun, a Springfield rifle, two carbine rifles, a Thomson submachine gun, a .45 caliber pistol, a .38 caliber revolver pistol, a .40 caliber pistol, a K3 machine gun, two bottles of ANFO, three improved blasting caps with time fuse, five pieces shock tube, an electric blasting cap, a gun silencer, and assorted magazine and live ammunition.
SPO4 Noel Oclarit, CIDG-Northern Mindanao chief investigator, said some of the suspects were the first to open fire at operatives who came to serve the search warrants issued by a judge for violation of Republic Act (RA) 10591, or the illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, and RA 9516, or the illegal possession of explosives.
“As we approached the Barros compound, we were fired upon. We had no choice but to fire back,” Oclarit said.
He said the armed men only surrendered when they ran out of bullets. The firefight lasted for almost an hour, he added.
Wounded on the spot were identified as Corporal Daniel Manatad, Corporal Rafael Salido, and Corporal Fernando Dumpa.
Oclarit said Manatad was hit on his left chest but is now declared out of danger by attending physicians. Salido and Dumpa just sustained minor wounds.
Oclarit said it was possible that the two persons who escaped during the raid were also wounded since responding agents saw a trail of blood on the ground.
“Our operatives are still in pursuit of the suspects who got away,” he added.
He said they were also tipped off that Ricardo “Ardot” Parojinog had been staying at the Barros compound, though they could not verify yet if he was one among those who managed to elude arrest.
In an interview, Barros denied the accusation that she was involved with the armed men and that most of the confiscated firearms were registered. She did not elaborate.
It can be recalled that Barros’s husband Tarcisio, who is a former Kinawe chairman, figured in an ambuscade that killed his 14-year-old son in January.
The teenage Barros succumbed to a gunshot wound to his head.
Investigators said the ambush may have something to do with the land conflict the Barros family was involved in with their relatives.
Oclarit said most of the suspects have confirmed they are members of the Kuratong Baleleng and have, in fact, come from Ozamiz.
He said even President Rodrigo Duterte during the election campaign mentioned Barros as a KB member.
Oclarit added they were able to gather information that Barros had allegedly been maintaining a private armed group, as well as involved in illegal mining and land-grabbing in Libona.
Barros has yet to confirm or deny these accusations against her.
The CIDG said the suspects will be facing attempted murder and frustrated murder charges, and for violation of RA 10591 and RA 9516.