North Cotabato mayor orders arrest of most wanted persons

NORTH COTABATO, Philippines - The mayor of North Cotabato’s Makilala town on Wednesday ordered the local police to arrest all of the 15 most wanted persons in the municipality before yearend to ensure public safety.

Some of the most wanted persons in town, among them implicated in narcotics offenses, armed robberies and cattle theft, are reportedly being coddled by the New People’s Army.

The NPA has recently attacked isolated areas in Makilala as part of its campaign to intimidate local folks and force them into shelling “protection money” on a regular basis.

Mayor Rudy Caoagdan directed Chief Inspector Elias Colonia, in-charge of the town police force, to enlist the help of barangay officials in locating the whereabouts of the 15 most wanted persons in the municipality.

The mayor, who also chairs the multi-sectoral municipal peace and order council, also ordered a crackdown on circulation of illegal drugs.