MAGUINDANAO, Philippines – Investigators recovered the missing pistol of slain Inspector Tongan Namla from one of the three alleged killers shot dead by villagers Saturday night in Datu Odin Sinsuat town here.
Namla was killed in an ambush on March 28.
The pistol’s serial number matched that of Namla’s missing handgun, said Inspector Datu Tulon Pinguiaman, chief of the Datu Odin Sinsuat police.
Namla was driving a motorcycle on his way to Tamontaka district when three assailants flagged him down in Barangay Dulangan and shot him using his caliber .45 pistol.
The assailants – identified as Ibrahim Bansuan, Dunsal Koht and a certain Marko – were killed in a shootout with policemen and villagers near Namla’s house Saturday night.
The suspects reportedly arrived at Namla’s house looking for his relative named Datu Roy, who earlier had a dialogue with elders of the slain officer.
Datu Roy reportedly pointed to the elders the brains behind Namla’s killing.
When Namla’s relatives arrived, along with their neighbors who were police officers, the suspects reportedly pulled out their guns, triggering a firefight.