Raid on Maguindanao town mayor's house hit

COTABATO CITY, Philippines - Members of the Midtimbang clan and their political allies staged Wednesday a rally in Talayan, Maguindanao to protest the search for weapons and explosives at the residence of the town’s incumbent mayor, Tungkang Midtimbang. No arms or weapons were found.

The dawn raid was carried out by operatives of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in Region 12, and members of the region’s elite Special Action Force.

An elder of the Midtimbang clan, former Guindulungan municipal mayor Midpantao Midtimbang, said they are not complaining about the raid, but questioning how a certain Inspector Marvin Aquino secured a search warrant for their operation from a court in Metro Manila.

The Midtimbangs also slammed the raiding team for preventing worshipers from getting close to the town mosque to perform their “soboh,” or dawn prayers while they searched for weapons and explosives at the house of the mayor of Talayan.

Sultan Kudarat Mayor Tucao Mastura, who also spoke in the rally, aired live by Catholic station dxMS in Cotabato City, urged the police officer to reveal who was behind the raid.

Mastura and elders of the Mitimbang family have asked the Department of Justice to investigate on the raid. - John Unson