Davao Oriental robbery gang busted in Kidapawan 

KIDAPAWAN CITY, Philippines — The police on Tuesday arrested six men in Kidapawan City for robbing a commercial establishment in Makilala, Cotabato City.

The suspects — Gemar Solidag Tipan, 36; Manilito Paragas Linda, 42; Allan Colita Miesco, 49; Dennis Singson Sefuentes, 40;  Denver Jay Sefuentes, 35; and Arcadio Tipan Sefuentes Jr., 57 — were cornered by pursuing personnel of the Cotabato Provincial Police Office in Jose Abad Santos street in this city.

The suspects are from Davao Oriental, authorities said.

The police had seized from them a 9 millimeter pistol, three .45 caliber pistols and several sachets of shabu. Authorities also impounded the suspects’ Mitsubishi Strada pick-up truck.

Brig Gen. Jimili Macaraeg, director of the Police Regional Office-12, and Lt. Col. Britz Estadilla of the Makilala Municipal Police Station separately told reporters Wednesday the six men will be charged for armed robbery, illegal possession of firearms and violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

The suspects first robbed three dealers of a food corporation while at the Alabata Store in Barangay Malasila in Makilala, and stole some P50,000 cash at gunpoint.

The group then proceeded to Kidapawan City and were eventually intercepted by policemen at a trading hub in this city, not too distant from Makilala.

Local officials in Banaybanay and Lupon towns in Davao Oriental have confirmed to reporters that the six men are indeed from Davao Oriental.

Three of them are residents of Barangay Piso in Banaybanay, according to the sources, among them members of the multi-sector Municipal Peace and Order Council.

Macaraeg said their intelligence operatives in Cotabato province have claimed that the six robbery suspects did not immediately return to their hometown of Davao City to pull off another robbery attack.

The three suspects were tagged in a previous armed robbery in Barangay Ampayun, Butuan City, according to local executives in Banaybanay.