Five persons, including an ex-cop involved in the Davao City bombing last September 2, were arrested on Thursday by police and military operatives during a checkpoint in Maguindanao province.
Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesman, identified the suspect as ex cop Police Officer 2 (PO2) Jessy Vincent Guinto Original alias “Abu Aisha”, formerly assigned at the Antipolo Police Station (PRO4A).
Padilla said Original is ninth suspect responsible in the Davao Night Market Bombing that left 15 people dead and scores injured.
Padilla said joint AFP and Philippine National Police (PNP) operatives arrested the Davao bombing suspect in a checkpoint at Sitio South Madalum, Brgy Nabalawag, Barira Maguindanao, at about 4 p.m. Thursday.
Aside from Original, four other suspects were collared following the conduct of the checkpoint as all five are also said to be members of the dreaded Maute terror group while passengers of the other vehicles were able to escape.
Authorities conducted check point operation and held six passing vehicles with no plate numbers that led to the arrest of four other suspects identified as following Arumpac Ibrahim Pandita, Hamsa Bagul, Musa Rasamal, and Mohammad Said Jamla.
Found in one of the vehicles was a set of Improvised Explosive Device (IED) materials while found in the possession and control of the arrested personalities were four fragmentation grenades. (FRANCIS T. WAKEFIELD)