COTABATO CITY — Authorities arrested two men after unlicensed pistols were discovered inside their vehicle during a checkpoint operation in Barangay Tamontaka 2, Cotabato City, on Sunday, November 9, 2025.
Police identified the suspects as Muhaimin Saguia Alungan, 30, and Badrodin Sadang Ison, 35, both residents of Barangay Guinibon, Datu Abdullah Sangki, Maguindanao del Sur. The two were detained at the Cotabato City Police Station 3 following their arrest.
Reports said police personnel flagged down a blue Suzuki Palette (plate number MAM 9833) for a routine inspection at around 12:50 p.m. When officers conducted a plain view search, they noticed two .45 caliber pistols — a Springfield Armory and a Norinco — along with magazines and live ammunition inside the vehicle.
The discovery led to the immediate arrest of the suspects and the impounding of their vehicle. Both men failed to present any documents proving legal ownership or authority to carry the firearms.
Police Regional Office–Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (PRO-BAR) Director Brig. Gen. Jaysen De Guzman confirmed that the checkpoint was a joint police-military operation involving operatives from the Cotabato City Police Office’s Intelligence Unit, Police Station 3, City Mobile Force Company (CMFC), Regional Special Operations Group (RSOG), and the 26th Marine Company under the Marine Battalion Landing Team-6.
De Guzman said the intensified checkpoint operations across Cotabato City were conducted upon the directive of Mayor Bruce Matabalao, who chairs the Cotabato City Peace and Order Council, as part of continuing efforts to maintain peace and security in the regional capital of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
The suspects are now facing charges for violation of Republic Act 10591, or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act, which penalizes the unlawful possession, ownership, or carrying of firearms and ammunition without proper authorization from the Philippine National Police (PNP).
Police authorities vowed to sustain joint police and military operations in strategic areas of the city to curb the proliferation of illegal firearms and ensure public safety.