Ex-mayor, councilor die in gov’t anti-drug operation

SEIZED. A police agent accounts the illegal drugs seized from the house of Abo family members during separate pre-dawn raids conducted Friday (Jan. 4, 2019) in Cotabato City. (Photo courtesy of PDEA-ARMM)

COTABATO CITY — Police and anti-narcotics operatives killed a former town mayor of Maguindanao and his brother during pre-dawn anti-drug operations in separate areas in the city Friday.

Juvenal Azurin, regional director of Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (PDEA-ARMM), identified the slain former Maguindanao official as Talib Abo Sr., former mayor of Parang, Maguindanao, who fired at lawmen during the raid in his home in Barangay Rosary Heights 7.

Also killed for resisting arrest was Councilor Disumimba “Bobby” Abo of Parang, Maguindanao, who also has a residence in Barangay Bagua Mother.

Azurin said police and PDEA agents from ARMM and Region 12, armed with search warrants against Abo and his relatives issued by Regional Trial Court Branch 16 Alandrex Betoya, conducted the simultaneously raids around 1 a.m. in three areas of the city – Barangay Rosary Heights 7, Barangay Rosary Heights 6 and Barangay Bagua Mother.

The raiding team also searched the house of Parang Councilor Bai Amelia Abo in Barangay Bagua Mother but yielded nothing. Senior Supt. Rolly Octavio, city police director, said the former mayor resisted arrest by firing his gun toward law enforcers, triggering a gunfight.

Abo was rushed by police to the hospital but was declared dead on arrival. His brother was also pronounced dead upon reaching the hospital.

Abo was named on President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s drug watchlist that was made public in mid-2016.

Abo then denied he was into the illegal drug trade.

Azurin said the law enforcers recovered two hand grenades, assorted firearms, and several sachets of shabu in the aftermath of the raids.

Another Parang town councilor, Bai Amy “Baby Love” Abo was also arrested after the police found a .45-caliber pistol, shabu and bank documents in her home in Barangay Rosary Heights 6.