Basilan police told: Solve Lamitan City crimes

ISABELA CITY, Basilan province — The provincial government of Basilan has ordered the Basilan Provincial Police Office to swiftly resolve the spate of killings and other crime incidents in Lamitan City here.

Basilan Governor Hadjiman Hataman-Salliman issued the verbal directive to P/Col. Carlos Madronio, director of the Basilan PPO, during the Provincial Peace and Order Council and Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Council held at the Session Hall of the Basilan Sangguniang Panlalawigan last Monday.

Salliman was also disgusted over the abusive behavior of some people and youth in Lamitan City proper to welcome 2024.

Madronio, for his part, assured Salliman that the entire police force in Basilan will act accordingly on the governor’s directive as he informed the governor that the Basilan PPO has recorded a total crime volume of 246 in 2023, higher than the previous year’s, the bulk of which covered the series of shooting incidents that occurred in Lamitan City.

Meantime, 101st Infantry “Three Red Arrows” Brigade commander Brig. Gen. Alvin Luzon also reported the sterling accomplishments of his command to the PPOC and PADAC members.

Luzon said that the most notable accomplishment of the 101st Infantry “Three Red Arrows” Brigade was the neutralization of the notorious Sulu-based ASG leader Mundi Sawadjaan and 40 other members of the terrorist group.

He also reported the recovery of 28 firearms from the ASG and the intensified implementation of the Small Arm and Light Weapon Program backed by the provincial government that had accounted for more or less 500 assorted firearms.

Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Basilan Provincial Officer Joseph Theodore Atila, on the other hand, revealed that the drug problem in Basilan province was the lowest compared to other provinces in the BARMM.