Cops neutralize 39 assassins in Mindanao in 2024
ZAMBOANGA City policemen have neutralized 39 guns-for-hire operating in the city and other areas of Western Mindanao following a massive operation to get them in 2024, the Police Regional Office 9 headed by Brig. Gen. Bowenn Joey M. Masauding said yesterday.
Two of the suspects were killed in a gunbattle with a lone cop on a busy street on New Year’s Eve, said Zamboanga City Police Office (ZCPO) director Col. Kimberly E. Molitas.
The official said that the slain suspects identified as Habert Tating and Kashmir Ladjahassan Jallao shot it out with Police Senior MSgt. Ryan Mariano of the ZCPO Ayala Police Station and were killed.
Recovered from the slain suspects were two chamber-loaded cal. .45 Armscor semi-automatic pistols. Each pistol has a single loaded magazines. The records of the confiscated weapons are still being checked by the ZCPO to determine if they have been used in previous shooting incidents in the city.
In a report to Masauding, the ZCPO director said that Tating is the subject of a non-bailable warrant of arrest for two counts of murder issued by Judge Norma Ong Usin-Usman of the Zamboanga City Regional Trial Court Branch 33.
Jallao is the subject of a warrant of arrest for murder issued by Judge Shaldilyn Bara Bangsaja of the Zamboanga City RTC Branch 13. No bail was also recommended for the temporary liberty of the accused.
Molitas said that the two slain gunmen were positively identified as involved in at least four separate shooting incidents, three of which happened in Zamboanga City and the fourth in another province.
Molitas said that as of 2024, they have documented 88 shooting incidents in the city of which 32 have been resolved and 53 were considered “cleared.” The remaining three cases arer still under active investigation, she added.
“This marks a clear demonstration of our police force’s relentless commitment to safeguarding our communities,” the official said.
According to the ZCPO director, they have arrested a record-breaking 35 gunmen, and killed four suspects during armed confrontations with law enforcement last year.
“The neutralization of these two dangerous criminals in Ayala is a clear indication that no one is beyond the reach of justice, no matter how deeply ingrained they are in violent acts,” Col. Molitas declared.
“With the full support of the local government unit under Mayor John Dalipe, we stand firm in our resolve to protect every Zamboangueño. Our mission is simple: to restore peace and order, and to take decisive action against criminal elements who endanger the lives of our people,” she added.
The official said that “the arrest of these gunmen and the neutralization of others reflect the tireless efforts of our police force, as well as the critical role played by our law enforcement partners and the brave community members who support this campaign. Our work is far from over. We will continue this fight with even greater intensity in 2025,” she said.
