Lapu-Lapu City police chief: No armed men on the island

Olango cleared

OLANGO Island residents can now heave a sigh of relief after the island was declared as having been cleared of alleged armed persons believed to be members of the Abu Sayyaf Group being pursued by government troops in Bohol province.

“We are declaring Olango Island cleared from these alleged armed person as reported by some residents after we have thoroughly searched the secluded areas,” said Senior Supt. Rommel Cabagnot, Lapu-Lapu City Police Office chief, in an interview yesterday.

Cabagnot and his men pulled out last Friday night from Olango Island after completing the clearing operations they have conducted since Thursday afternoon together with troopers from the 47th Infantry Batallion and the Philippine Navy.

Cabagnot led about 30 of his men in verifying a report of allegedly two armed men in Barangay San Vicente in Olango Island who were sighted by a resident particularly at Sitio Bas Toral at around 1 p.m. on Thursday.

The police and military conducted a search of the mangrove areas, the farm lands and a check of the houses in the area including the island’s shorelines and nearby islets.

Cabagnot said he decided to pull out the police officers deployed in the area after their search turned out negative of any armed persons.

He said he was, however, leaving a team of police officers to help the Talima police station in securing the island from any armed threat.

The four teams of police personnel sent by Mandaue City Police Office and Cebu City Police Office serving as augmentation force for Lapu-Lapu City mainland had also been pulled out on Friday night, but they could be redeployed anytime when the need would arise.

Cabagnot also encouraged residents to be always vigilant and appealed to them to be responsible in posting information on social media regarding the alleged sightings of suspicious persons to prevent creating fear and panic among residents.

He instead appealed to them to report the truth and what they actually witnessed to the proper authorities.

Acting Mayor Marcial Ycong of Lapu-Lapu City said he is worried about the situation in the island because it may affect the tourism industry, which helps fuel the city’s economy.