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COTABATO CITY (MindaNews / 11 March) – The Regional Police Office of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (PRO-BARMM) will conduct a special investigation into the presence last month of armed men in Rosary Heights, this city.
A video footage presented during the Regional Peace and Order Council meeting on Thursday showed the armed men exchanging fire with operatives from police precinct 2 on Feb. 22.
BGen Arthur Cabalona, regional police director of BARMM said the incident shown on video alarmed them since it happened during the implementation of the election gun ban.
Cabalona said he believed the armed men on the video were neither policemen nor members of the military.
City police director Col. Rommel Javier earlier said the armed men on the video were possibly the policemen who responded to the incident.
Cabalona added his office is also investigating the incidents in Datu Piang, Maguindanao and in other areas that were captured on video.
Meanwhile, BARMM officials asked why members of the Cotabato City Police Office have continued using the PRO-12 insignia even if the Department of Interior and Local Government national office has turned it over to the autonomous region. “May we seek clarification from our police on this,” lawyer Naguib Sinarimbo, BARMM Interior Minister said. (Ferdinandh B. Cabrera/MindaNews)
