Cops arrest 6 suspects in police officer’s slay

COTABATO CITY – Authorities in the North Cotabato town of M’lang on Sunday arrested six men believed to be behind the murder of Senior Police Officer 1 Jovette Galan.

Supt. Geovanni Ladeo, M’lang town police chief, identified the suspects in last Friday's killing of Galan as Michael Mandadtem Bongkaisan and Ibrahim Macalnas Maacal, both of M’lang; and Alex Baliwan, Murad Baliwan Mael, Taha De Leon Kusain and Mamayla Dagandalan Kusain, all of Barangay Paatan, Kabacan, North Cotabato.

Ladeo said police first arrested Michael Bongkaisan and Ibrahim Mael who confessed on their participation in the crime as “lookouts.” They later told police that their companions were hiding in the nearby town of Kabacan.

Bongkaisan and Mael even accompanied the police in arresting their four companions in Barangay Paatan, Kabacan, North Cotabato, the police official said.

All the suspects pointed to Baliwan as the gunmen who shot dead Galan, a member of the M’lang police intelligence section, along the national highway in Barangay Lika, M’lang, North Cotabato at around 7 p.m. Friday.

Ladeo said the six persons conspired to kill Galan who was doing intelligence work in Barangay Lika. As Galan fell from bullets, the suspects grabbed his service 9mm pistol and his motorbike.

The suspects are now detained at M’lang police lockup cell while murder charges are being prepared against them. (PNA)