CAMP SIONGCO, Maguindanao — Combined military and police forces are hot on the trail of members of a heavily armed drug syndicate, who fled after a clash with lawmen in Barangay Blesong, Upi, Maguindanao on Sunday.
Brig. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, Army’s 6th Infantry Division chief, said no one was hurt on the side of the security forces during the firefight, but believed that the lawless elements suffered casualties, with bodies hidden somewhere in the thick forests of the town as the suspects fled.
The gun battle transpired at about 6 a.m. as combined elements of the Philippine Marines’ 7th Battalion Landing Team and Upi police swooped down on the safehouse of suspect Rusty Kanda and his cohorts in the village.
“The encounter came about after Kanda’s group, numbering some 13 fully-armed men, resisted arrest,” Sobejana said, adding that the confrontation lasted 20 minutes, followed by intermittent fire from the enemy.
“We will sustain our support to other agencies on the conduct of law enforcement support operation against any threat group in the society,” he said.
Kanda has pending cases for violation of Republic Act (RA) No. 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002) and RA 10591 (Illegal Possession of Firearms and Ammunition). (Noel Punzalan/PNA)
