Guns, sketch plan seized from PDEA ambush 'mastermind'

ILIGAN CITY -- Authorities recovered firearms and ammunition during Tuesday's search on the residence of a suspect in the deadly Lanao del Sur ambush that killed five anti-narcotics agents last week.

Armed with a search warrant issued by Judge Wenida M. Papandayan of the 12th Judicial Region based in Marawi City, a team of police and military personnel searched the house of William C. Gandawali in Tagoloan II, Lanao del Sur, for violation of Republic Act 10591 or Illegal Possession of Firearms and Ammunitions.

Authorities said they also recovered what appeared to be a handwritten sketch plan of the deadly October 4 ambush that claimed the lives of five Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) agents.

Gandawali, who was not around during the search, was identified by several witnesses as the mastermind of the ambush in Kapai town last Thursday, said Chief Insp. Christopher Cabugwang, chief of the Lanao del Sur Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit (PDEU).

Cabugwang said the team also recovered from Gandawali's residence a case folder of the buy-bust operation against Comayog Macapagal, who was killed in a PDEU-led buy-bust operation on August 8 in Marawi City.

Cabugwang said Gandawali and Macapagal are siblings.

Chief Supt. Graciano Mijares, regional director of Police Regional Office in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), said the ambush was likely a retaliatory attack for the death of Gandawali's brother.

Mijares said Cabugwang, who led the operation that killed Macapagal, may have been the target of the ambush.

"They thought PDEA and PDEU are the same," Mijares said.

Tuesday's raid on Gandawali's residence was conducted by different police units and the Army's 82nd Infantry Battalion.

Among the recovered evidence from Gandawali's residence were an M-16 rifle, .45-caliber pistol, and magazines and ammunition for both firearms. (PNA)