2 Pentagon leaders elude police dragnet

COTABATO CITY — Two leaders of the notorious Pentagon kidnap-for-ransom syndicate eluded a police dragnet in a slum area here the other day and escaped to a nearby Maguindanao town.

The two suspects, Henry Malak and Boy Timako, both known followers of Pentagon leader Mayangkang Saguile, were first spotted in the slum area meeting suspicious-looking men last week.

Two days after they were sighted, police found an unlicensed pick-up truck abandoned in a secluded community here.

Authorities believe that the vehicle belonged to Malak and Timako, who have been implicated in the abductions of wealthy city residents. — John Unson

Npas Strafe Transmission Tower In Albay

DARAGA, Albay — Suspected New People’s Army (NPA) rebels strafed a transmission tower of the National Transmission Corp. (Transco) here Thursday night, but failed to disable the facility, police said.

Superintendent Pedro Tango, Albay police director, said the attackers used M-14 rifles and M203 grenades in attempting to destroy the transmitter at the eight-hectare Transco compound in Barangay Peñafrancia.

Transco officials expressed their fears about this latest attempt to sabotage power transmission.

"If (the attack) was successful, it would have created an instability in the power supply of the Luzon grid," said Transco area manager Pedro Borja. — Celso Amo

6 Killed In Misamis Ambush

OROQUIETA CITY — Unidentified men waylaid a truckload of villagers on their way to Concepcion town in Misamis Occidental last Tuesday, killing six people, including a two-year-old boy, police said.

Superintendent Lyndel Desquitado, Misamis Occidental police director, identified the fatalities as Casiano Ca-an, Milagritya Resonable, Norma Mabisa, Ester Cubar, Armando Gumamit and two-year-old Jubini Resonable.

The motive for the attack is still unknown.

Investigation showed that the victims, on board an Isuzu Elf truck, were ambushed upon reaching Barangay Butungan.

The ambushers reportedly came from nearby Sapang Dalaga town. — Lino de la Cruz

2 Minors Rescued In Basilan

ZAMBOANGA CITY — Government militiamen and civilian volunteers clashed with suspected Abu Sayyaf men in Basilan yesterday and rescued two minors aged nine and 14 who were snatched in Tipo-Tipo town the other day.

Lt. Col. Renoir Pascua, spokesman of the Armed Forces’ Southern Command, said 15 armed men under Abu Sayyaf leader Poy Ambali forcibly took the two boys, Neneg Sabparani, 14, and Toto Panjang, 9, in Barangay Matata, Tipo Tipo. — Roel Pareño