ILIGAN CITY — The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Wednesday afternoon filed murder charges against 10 suspects in last week’s killing of five anti-narcotics agents and the wounding of two others.
Named in the multiple murder and frustrated murder charges were Oscar Capal Gandawali, Palawan Salem Macalabo, Lala Lolo Amboloto, Jamal Lolo Amboloto, Mizangcad Panonde Gandawali, Aiman Guro Gandawali, Jamel Borar alias Memekan, William Gandawali, and two John Does.
The 10 suspects are accused of carrying out the ambush of Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) agents in the Lanao del Sur town of Kapai on October 5.
Chief Supt. Graciano Mijares, director of the Police Regional Office in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), said the suspects are believed to be related by blood to a certain Comayug Macapagal, a native of Tagoloan II town in Lanao del Sur, who was killed last month in an anti-drug operation in Marawi City.
Citing intelligence information, Mijares said that after Macapagal’s death, his relatives threatened to retaliate against law enforcers, especially the PNP’s Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit that was involved in the operation that killed Macapagal on August 8.
Oscar Capal Gandawali, Macapagal’s nephew, who has been living with him inside the Mindanao State University campus, had reportedly organized his close relatives and waited for the opportunity to avenge Macapagal’s death.
Police said this is how the suspects are linked: William Comayug Gandawali, who is the incumbent village chairman of Inudaran, Tagoloan ll, is the elder brother of Comayug Macapagal; Oscar is the son of William Comayug Gandawali; Aiman Gandawali is the son of Macapagal and nephew of William; Lala Lolo Amboloto and Jamal Lolo Amboloto are brothers and are both nephews of Comayug Macapagal from another sibling.
Palawan Salem Macalabo is a nephew from a different sibling of Macapagal; Mizangkad Panonde Gandawali is a nephew of Macapagal; and Jamel Borar a.k.a. Memekan is a relative by affinity and an identified associate of Macapagal in the illegal drugs trade.
The two other John Does are also believed to be their relatives.
Mijares said deeper investigation and massive intelligence operations are being conducted by the PNP and the Armed Forces of the Philippines to locate and arrest the suspects. (Divina Suson/PNA)
