LANAO DEL NORTE, Philippines — Two separate armed encounters involving police personnel in Lanao del Norte on November 13 resulted in the death of Region 10’s Top 1 Most Wanted Person and a police intelligence agent, while another police officer was wounded in what authorities described as a misencounter between units of the Philippine National Police (PNP).
The incidents, which occurred in Nunungan and Sapad, involved different police units conducting law enforcement and intelligence operations. Initial reports indicate that the second incident may have been linked to coordination and identification failures among personnel operating in the province.
Region’s Top 1 Most Wanted killed during warrant operation
Mogot Binasing Pintal, also known by the aliases “Palos,” “Onday,” and “Uday L. Binasing,” was killed during an armed confrontation with joint operating forces in Barangay Notongan, Nunungan, Lanao del Norte, at approximately 5:30 a.m. on November 13.
Pintal was identified by the Lanao del Norte Police Provincial Office (LDN PPO) as Region 10’s Top 1 Most Wanted Person and a priority target of the PNP Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management (DIDM).
The operation was conducted to implement seven warrants of arrest issued by the Regional Trial Court, Branch 21, in Kapatagan, Lanao del Norte. The warrants covered three counts of murder, two counts of attempted murder, one count of arson, and one case involving a violation of Republic Act 10591, or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act.
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The court did not recommend bail for the three murder cases.
Personnel from the 1st and 2nd Provincial Mobile Force Companies, the LDN PPO Provincial Intelligence Unit, the Regional Mobile Force Battalion 10 (RMFB 10), and the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) 10 participated in the operation.
Following the encounter, authorities recovered an M16A1 rifle, five steel magazines, 124 live cartridges, a magazine pouch or war belt, a bandolier, and a hand grenade.
Police reported that pursuit operations continued after the incident following information that armed companions of the deceased remained in the vicinity.
Pintal’s remains were subsequently claimed by his relatives for traditional burial.
Police intelligence agent killed in reported misencounter in Sapad
Hours later, at approximately 11:30 a.m. on the same day, another armed incident was reported in Sitio Badiangon, Barangay Baning, Sapad, Lanao del Norte, where a police intelligence agent was killed and another officer was wounded in an encounter involving fellow police personnel.
The fatality was identified as Police Corporal Mark Freddie Dar Gliam, a member of the Regional Intelligence Unit (RIU) of Police Regional Office 10. His companion, Patrolman Garry Caimor, also an RIU personnel, sustained injuries and was brought to a nearby medical facility for treatment.
According to the incident report, the two officers were traveling in a yellow Ford Fiesta when they encountered personnel of the RMFB 10 operating in the area.
Initial information reportedly raised concerns that the officers had been victims of an ambush. However, subsequent verification and investigation indicated that the shooting was a misencounter involving members of two different PNP units operating in the same general area.
The RMFB 10 personnel allegedly failed to recognize that the individuals they encountered were fellow police officers assigned to the RIU.
The circumstances surrounding the encounter remain critical to establishing how the two groups came into contact and why the personnel were unable to identify one another before shots were fired.
Reports indicate that Gliam and Caimor were conducting an intelligence mission and were wearing civilian clothing while carrying firearms. Their appearance and the absence of sufficient coordination between the operating units have been cited in preliminary accounts as possible factors in the incident. These details, however, still require confirmation through the official investigation.
The officers’ vehicle reportedly veered off the road and overturned into a deep flood canal beside the highway after the occupants sustained gunshot wounds.
Responding police personnel rushed Caimor to the nearest medical facility. Gliam was declared dead on arrival.
Coordination failures raise operational concerns
The two incidents highlight different but equally serious challenges facing law enforcement operations: the risks involved in serving warrants against armed and wanted individuals, and the potentially fatal consequences of inadequate coordination among police units operating in the same area.
While the Nunungan operation involved the enforcement of outstanding court warrants against a high-priority wanted individual, the Sapad incident involved personnel from two police units who, according to preliminary findings, failed to recognize one another during an armed encounter.
The death of an intelligence operative in a reported misencounter raises questions about operational communication, personnel identification, intelligence-sharing protocols, and coordination mechanisms between regional intelligence and mobile force units.
A complete determination of responsibility and the precise sequence of events will depend on the findings of the continuing investigation.
Police leadership calls for lawful and coordinated operations
In a statement following the Nunungan operation, LDN PPO Provincial Director Police Colonel Leo De Leon Sua emphasized the importance of inter-agency coordination and adherence to established legal procedures.
“Our commitment is to enforce the law and bring wanted persons before the courts. We recognize the coordination of our police, military, and intelligence partners in this operation. As operations continue, all personnel are directed to observe lawful procedures, respect human rights, and prioritize the protection of civilians,” Sua said.
The LDN PPO also urged residents to remain vigilant and report information concerning armed individuals or suspicious activities to the nearest police station.
As investigations into the Sapad misencounter continue, the circumstances surrounding the death of Gliam and the wounding of Caimor underscore the need for stronger coordination and reliable identification procedures among police units, particularly during simultaneous or overlapping intelligence and law enforcement operations.
The two incidents remain separate events, and the findings of the respective investigations will be essential in establishing the full circumstances, accountability, and any necessary operational reforms.