A police officer wounded within the shootout between former Maimbung, Sulu Vice Mayor Pando Mudjasan and safety forces died from his accidents, Armed Forces Chief of Staff General Andres Centino stated Sunday.
Centino defined that throughout the Saturday operation during which Philippine National Police (PNP)-Special Action Force policemen and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) servicemen tried to serve search and arrest warrants on Mudjasan, a gunfight broke out.
Eight cops had been wounded within the battle, two of them severely. The injured had been flown to Zamboanga City on a Black Hawk helicopter.
“All of the wounded from the PNP aspect had been, ang complete is walo ‘yung naging [a total of eight were] wounded unfortunately, and isa din ang [one of them] I think passed away yesterday,” Centino said in a radio interview.
A soldier from the 41st Infantry Battalion and one civilian were also injured, he added.
Meanwhile, Mudjasan was suspected of having been a National Liberation Front or MNLF leader.
“As far as the information provided to us, dati nga daw [he was a former] MNLF commander,” Centino said.
As to Mudjasan’s location as the suspects fled right after the shooting, the AFP chief said the former vice mayor could still be somewhere in Maimbung, Sulu.
“Continuing ‘yung ating effort to find out at we will coordinate with the PNP, the local police. Probably sa mga ganitong situation, they have the better perspective sa pag-alam kung nasaan talaga because nandyan lang naman sa area ito,” Centino said.
(We are trying to find out where he is. We will coordinate with the PNP and the local police. Probably in situations like this, they have a better perspective in knowing where he is because he’s simply there within the space.)
“Ang focus kasi natin noon was doon sa ma-hinterlands. Itong sa Maimbung, medyo malapit lang naman ito sa baba, sa Jolo. We will continue to coordinate with PNP to find out the location,” he added.
(Our focus has been within the hinterlands. Maimbung is just a little nearer to Jolo. We will proceed to coordinate with PNP to search out out the situation.) — DVM, GMA Integrated News
Source: www.gmanetwork.com
