Presence of armed men alarms Carles folk
Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO) has yet to validate the reported presence of armed men in Carles town, 147 kilometers from the city.
A source from the IPPO told The News Today (TNT) that Carles police station has yet to submit their report on the allegation of Punong Barangay Nody Pantillo of Barangay Punta Lanot that he spotted seven heavily armed men Wednesday night.
Pantillo called radio station dyFM Bombo Radyo Wednesday night to report the presence of suspicious armed men in their barangay.
Pantillo said he was alarmed by the presence of said armed men as they were not from Carles. He said the armed men, whose affiliation could not be confirmed yet, had been in the barangay for three days.
He learned that the group only sought shelter with a fishpond caretaker identified only as Taculing. Taculing, reportedly, came from Mindanao raising suspicions that the armed men who took refuge in Carles could be members of the Abu Sayyaf.
Prior to Pantillo's declaration, police has already denied reports on the alleged presence of Muslim extremists here.
Pantillo said he fears that the armed men will sow terror in the their place and hamper the daily lives of the residents.
He called the radio station to ask for immediate police assistance as residents in their place are worried.
Pantillo added that the armed men also made an enclosure of the area they were occupying.
TNT tried to reach IPPO provincial director Senior Supt. Melvin Mongcal yesterday but to no avail.
This paper also called Carles police station to confirm with their chief of police, Senior Inspector Vicente Lamsis, the report, but the call yielded no positive result.