Troops raid safehouse of arms used in Ampatuan massacre

Police and military operatives on Monday raided the suspected storage area of high-powered firearms that could have been used to kill the victims in the massacre in Ampatuan, Maguindanao last week. GMA News’ Emil Sumangil reported on QTV’s Balitanghali that the Joint Task Force 12 Alpha seized high-powered guns, ammunition, a grenade, and military paraphernalia from the safehouse belonging to a certain Inspector Saudi Mokamad in Cotabato City. Also recovered were motorcycles believed to have been used by the suspects to flee the crime scene in Barangay (village) Salman in Ampatuan town. The report said Mokamad, member of the 1502 Provincial Police Mobile Group, has been missing and has not reported for work since Sunday. The Cotabato City police said Mokamad is on absence-without-leave (AWOL) status. But even as Mokamad was nowhere to be found, his mother-in-law said she does not know if his son is involved in any illegal activities. "Ang alam ko pulis, may trabaho, may tungkulin. Kung ano ang trabaho, di ko pa ‘yun malaman (All I know is that he is a policeman who has duties, although I don’t know what duties these are)," said Mokamad’s mother-in-law who declined to be named. In his report on Unang Hirit earlier in the day, Sumangil quoted intelligence reports as saying that last week, Mokamad parked his vehicle at the house when a military intelligence officer passed by. Mokamad reportedly asked the military officer in unloading the firearms, which Mokamad said had been used to finish off the victims in the grisly killing of nearly 60 people last Monday. The joint task force is still investigating the incident, the report said. The confiscated firearms and motorcycles would also be used for further investigation. - Sophia Dedace/RSJ, GMANews.TV