The vehicle allegedly used by suspected Islamic State-linked individuals Badrudin Ibrahim Singgon and Kokoy Datumanong following a shootout with policemen in Tacurong City last Nov. 19, 2018. (Photo by PRO-12)
COTABATO CITY -- The Police Region Office-12 (PRO-12) has stood by its report that two of the four men killed in a shootout in Tacurong City had links to Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
Supt. Aldrin Gonzales, PRO-12 spokesperson, maintained that Badrudin Ibrahim Singgon and Kokoy Datumanong were ISIS gunmen based on the pieces of evidence recovered following Monday's shootout that killed the two.
Singgon, 34, and Datumanong, 30, were local government employees of Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao.
“Based on reports, black ISIS flag, improvised bombs, and pistols were found in the vehicle where two gunmen traded shots with lawmen,” Gonzales said, referring to the two men.
PRO-12 defended the operation following suspicions that aside from the two men, the police were also involved in the deaths of Buhari Edsla Uday, 26, and Datu Punto Ampatuan, 48.
The two, also employees of the Shariff Aguak town government, were found dead on a roadside in Barangay San Vicente, Banga, South Cotabato, at 8 a.m. Monday, some 30 kilometers away from Tacurong City.
Anwar Emblawa, Shariff Aguak municipal administrative officer, said Singgon, Datumanong, Uday and Ampatuan were last seen together leaving Shariff Aguak going to South Cotabato province around noontime last Sunday (November 18).
“The four, however, were separately found dead in pairs Monday (Nov. 19) in Tacurong City and Banga town. How could that be?” Emblawa said.
“We believe that two were killed in an alleged police set-up operation in Tacurong while the two others were summarily executed and dumped in South Cotabato,” added Emblawa, a close relative of Singgon.
Emblawa said the families of the four employees denied they were members of any lawless group and have called on the police for a deeper investigation into their "mysterious" deaths.
He pointed out that both Uday and Ampatuan bore headshot wounds at the back of their heads.
“They were shot at close range,” Emblawa said.
Still, Gonzales defended the operation that killed Singgon and Datumanong which he described as "legitimate." He said police are still looking into the deaths of the two other men -- Uday and Ampatuan.
Gonzales also dared the relatives to file charges if they believed there were irregularities in the police operation. (PNA)
