TALAYAN, Maguindanao del Sur — Two women were arrested after authorities recovered high-powered firearms and ammunition from a vehicle during a checkpoint and follow-up police operation in Barangay Poblacion on Thursday, April 16, 2026.
Police identified the suspects as Samsiah Layug Bacol, 34, a resident of Datu Odin Sinsuat, and Bai Janine Guinalan Carillo, 43, from Cotabato City. Both are now in police custody and facing charges for violating Republic Act 10591.
According to PLT Mohamad K. Ampatuan, Chief of Police of the Talayan Municipal Police Station (MPS), the arrest stemmed from an intensified anti-criminality drive under Oplan Kapkap Bakal/Sita, conducted as part of the Simultaneous Anti-Criminality Law Enforcement Operation (SACLEO).
Initial reports said police operatives were conducting a routine mobile patrol around 11:00 a.m. when they received information about a suspicious white Morris Garage (MG) SUV allegedly transporting contraband. Acting on the tip, authorities immediately set up a checkpoint, where the vehicle was successfully intercepted.
During inspection, police noticed a firearm beside the passenger seat and another placed on the floor of the back seat, prompting a more thorough search. Recovered from the vehicle were a Bushmaster caliber 5.56mm rifle, a VLTOR caliber 5.56mm rifle, ten rounds of live ammunition, and two short magazines. The white MG SUV bearing plate number FAG 6355 was also seized.
The suspects reportedly failed to present any legal documents for the firearms, leading to their immediate arrest.
Further investigation revealed that the vehicle occupants initially claimed they were only instructed to refuel the SUV. However, they later disclosed that the firearms inside the vehicle belonged to Bacol and Carillo, prompting a follow-up operation that resulted in the apprehension of the two women.
Maguindanao del Sur Police spokesperson Capt. Guiseppe Tamayo confirmed the identities of the suspects, noting that Bacol was driving the vehicle while Carillo was seated as a passenger at the time of interception.
The operation forms part of the intensified campaign of the Maguindanao del Sur Police Provincial Office, led by Provincial Director Col. Michael John Mangahis, against the proliferation of loose firearms in the province.
Authorities emphasized that the crackdown aligns with ongoing efforts to curb criminality and ensure public safety, especially amid heightened security operations in the region.
The suspects are currently detained at the Talayan MPS while formal charges are being prepared against them.