CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY -- The Cagayan de Oro City Police Office (COCPO) is looking into the possible links of a slain shootout suspect here to Maute militants and to the illegal drugs trade.
Supt. Nelson Aganon, Cocpo director, on Friday said they will work on gathered intelligence reports on the dead suspect, Abdulrahim Adilao, as he was originally a resident in Butig town, Lanao del Sur -- the hometown of the Maute brothers.
Adilao is responsible for the death of Highway Patrol Group’s SPO1 Sergs de Constantine Maceren.
On December 6, Maceren and two other colleagues with the Regional Highway Patrol Unit -- SPO2 Lyndie Baltazar and PO1 Joel Laurente -- flagged down a white Hyundai Accent in Barangay Carmen over its suspicious license plate (ULI-448).
However, when Maceren and Baltazar approached the vehicle near a gasoline station, Adilao fired at them using an M4 rifle equipped with a suppressor.
The ensuing shootout killed Maceren and Adilao, and wounded Baltazar.
However, Adilao was also killed in said shooting incident.
Adilao, 42, was with his partner, Joan Gomez, 30, and two other unidentified men.
According to reports, Adilao owns multiple gun shops around the country, including Marawi City.
The vehicle he used during the shootout was said to have an "improvised" plate number.
Aganon said Gomez, who is now under police custody, is still under thorough interrogation. (PNA)