By Christopher Lloyd T. Caliwan
MANILA – The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Monday commended police and military personnel after a joint law enforcement operation in Maguindanao del Sur resulted in the neutralization of a wanted Dawlah Islamiyah-Hassan Group (DI-HG) member and his alleged armed associate.
PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio C. Nartatez Jr. said the operation on Sunday demonstrated the importance of intelligence-sharing, inter-agency coordination and community cooperation in preventing armed groups from threatening local communities.
The fatalities were identified as Amar Sansawi Usman, also known as Akhie Usman and Marhan, and his alleged associate, identified only as “Syok.”
Usman was listed as the No. 1 Most Wanted Person in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) and Maguindanao del Sur.
The Maguindanao del Sur Provincial Police Office said Usman was a member of the ISIS-linked DI-HG and was allegedly involved in several serious crimes, including murder, robbery, motorcycle carnapping, gun-for-hire activities and attacks against government forces. He was also among the suspects in the March 28 ambush of PNP personnel in Shariff Aguak.
The operation was launched at around 5:15 a.m. in Sitio Bliss, Barangay Kapinpilan, Ampatuan, following reports from residents about the suspects’ presence in the area and their alleged involvement in selling illegal drugs, including shabu and marijuana.
The joint team, led by the Maguindanao del Sur Police Provincial Office, included personnel from the Provincial Intelligence Unit, Shariff Aguak Municipal Police Station, Provincial Mobile Force Company, Regional Mobile Force Battalion 14-A, Special Action Force and the Army’s 90th Infantry Battalion.
Police reports stated that operatives identified themselves and called on the suspects to surrender peacefully while serving multiple arrest warrants. The two allegedly opened fire, triggering a brief exchange of gunfire.
Both suspects sustained gunshot wounds and were given first aid by police medics before being brought to the Bangsamoro Regional Hospital and Medical Center, where they were later declared dead.
Recovered at the scene were an Armscor .45-caliber pistol, spent cartridge cases and a homemade Uzi-type submachine gun loaded with ammunition.
Nartatez reiterated the PNP’s support for efforts to convince members of armed groups to abandon violence and return to civilian life, stressing that the government remains open to those willing to take the path of peace.
“The PNP supports every genuine opportunity for armed individuals to abandon violence, surrender, and rebuild their lives as law-abiding citizens. We encourage them to take the path of peace and avail themselves of the government’s existing reintegration and reconciliation programs rather than waste their lives in activities that only bring suffering to their families and communities,” he said. (PNA)
