Sultan Kudarat 'most wanted' man, son slain in shootout

COTABATO CITY – Sultan Kudarat's "most wanted" man and his son were killed when they allegedly traded bullets with law enforcers during a predawn operation in the coastal town of Datu Blah Sinsuat, Maguindanao, Tuesday.

Chief Supt. Eliseo Tam Rasco, police regional director for Region 12 (Soccsksargen), identified the suspect as Tenti Taup Mangarin, described as the most wanted person in Sultan Kudarat province.

“Also killed in the shootout was the suspect’s son, identified only as a certain Minggoy Taup, who likewise shot it out with the police,” Rasco added.

A joint team from the Sultan Kudarat and the Maguindanao police offices swooped down on the suspect’s house at 3:30 a.m. in Sitio Kamalig, Barangay Meti, Datu Blah Sinsuat town to serve the arrest warrant but was met by gunfire, prompting the lawmen to fire back.

“Both Mangarin and son were killed in the incident,” Rasco said, adding the police were armed with a warrant of arrest for murder, attempted murder with direct assault upon agents of a person in authority against Mangarin.

Mangarin was allegedly involved in the burning of eight trucks owned by Jargon Construction Company in Kalamansig, Sultan Kudarat in January this year.

He was also the suspect in the recent killing of a school principal in Datu Blah Sinsuat, Maguindanao, and the series of robbery incidents in the towns of Kalamansig and Lebak, both in Sultan Kudarat.

Recovered from Mangarin’s house were two M16 rifles, several hundreds of M16 bullets, ammunition clips and bandoliers.

Mangarin’s relatives took his remains and that of his son and both were buried on the same day in accordance with Muslim burial rites. (PNA)