Alleged armed men seen in two towns

CEBU, Philippines - Residents of the two towns in southern Cebu claimed they saw a group of armed men in their area in broad daylight last Wednesday.

Alcantara police station received a report that one of the teachers at Manga Elementary School claimed at least seven armed men were seen carrying with them assorted long firearms spotted near the school around 11 a.m. This prompted the teacher to call for police assistance.

Alcantara police led by its chief, Insp. Wilbert Parilla then responded to the area but the armed group was no longer there.

Parilla then asked the police personnel of the nearby town of Ronda to immediately conduct a road blocking in Barangay Malalay after a barangay tanod told them that the armed men rode a red multicab and sped towards Ronda.

However, the road blocking conducted by the Ronda police led by Insp. Januario Sarios yielded negative result.

Cebu Provincial Police Office director Jesus Gaquing said he believes that the spotted armed men belonged to one of the two rival groups that the police have been monitoring for three months already.

“Kaniadto pa g’yud naa’y two criminal groups operating in the area, terrorizing people for a long time,” Gaquing said.

With this, Gaquing called the attention of the chiefs of police of Alcantara and Ronda, including the nearby Dumanjug, to effect arrest against the said armed groups, who are possibly gun-for-hires also.

Gaquing disclosed that the two groups, one composed of at most ten men, and the other more than ten men, based on the information he received, are criminals with pending warrants of arrest.

These groups, Gaquing said, are rival groups responsible for the robbery incidents, murder, extortion, and other illegal activities in the mountain barangays of the three mentioned towns. He added these towns will be their priority as they have problematic peace and order situation. — Niña G. Sumacot/WAB   (FREEMAN NEWS)