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Tuesday, June 28, 2005
Armed men raid town cop armory
DAVAO CITY -- Thirty-six armed men disguising themselves as members of the police's Special Action Force (SAF) raided the Magpet town police station Sunday evening and left with 25 firearms from the station's armory.
The station head, Police Inspector Rodolfo Perocho, was on leave during the raid.
Reports reaching Sun.Star Davao said the still unidentified armed men were onboard three vans when they arrived at Magpet police station around 6:30 p.m. Sunday.
Two of the suspects, in full fatigue uniforms, disembarked and brought with them a handcuffed man whom they said they were turning over to the Magpet police. There were nine policemen in the police office at that time.
They were taken by surprise as several other armed men suddenly sprang out of the vans. The policemen were held at gunpoint while the armed men ransacked the precinct.
The armed men left with seven M16 rifles, two M14 rifles, five M1 Garand rifles, five .38 caliber revolvers, seven .45 caliber pistols, seven .9mm pistols, and several ammunition.
They also took two computer sets, two typewriters, and some policemen uniforms.
No shots were fired in the entire duration of the raid and nobody was hurt nor injured.
The getaway vehicles were recovered by the authorities in Barangay Magcaalam, where they were abandoned by the armed men.
It was learned that the vans were rented for P2,500 each in Barangay Linangkob by a woman who said she was going to use it for a family reunion.
North Cotabato Governor Emmanuel Piñol visited the police precinct Monday and assured the people that the raiders will be rounded up within 24 hours.
Governor Piñol is the elder brother of Magpet Mayor Efren Piñol.
Combined forces from the Army's 38th, 40th, 73rd and 25th Infantry Battalions, Task Force Malmar and the SAF are now scouring the boundaries of North Cotabato and Davao City for the armed men.
The group is believed to be hiding in the jungles of Mount Apo.
"Slippery trails due to successive rains and the difficult terrain would slow down the group's trek to Davao by at least a day," Piñol said.
Mayor Piñol points to politics as the motive for the attack.
"The motive of the raid may have been to embarrass the administration," Mayor Piñol said.
Residents said the men were shouting "Ibagsak ang rehimeng Piñol (Down with the Piñol regime)" before boarding their getaway vehicles.
Governor Piñol admitted the men got one over the authorities this time and urged the police to always be on the alert.
"Naisahan tayo, but we should learn from this major security lapse. We should always be aware that the enemies of the state are just waiting for the right opportunity to pounce on us and embarrass government," the governor said. (Sun.Star Davao/AP/Sunnex)
Click here for a chronology of the crisis.
Click here for the transcript of Arroyo's confession.
(June 28, 2005 issue)
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