2 dead in raid on Maguindanao mayor's house

Two persons were killed when the police tried to serve the search warrant against Mayor Vickman Montawal and Vice Mayor Ottoh Montawal of Datu Montawal town in Maguindanao, and a certain Andy Montawal over charges related to drugs and illegal possession of firearms.

A report from the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) police identified the dead persons as Mentak Alon, 21 and Belag Alon, 22, both members of the Montawal's private army who engaged the police in a firefight during the service of the search warrants around 2 a.m. on Thursday.

The firefight lasted for an hour, according to the ARMM police.

Recovered from the crime scene were four M16 rifles, one hand grenade and one sports utility vehicle.

There were no casualties on the government side, but the Montawals escaped  toward Brgy. Bulod also in Datu Montawal town.

The police is still searching for the Montawals.

The search warrant for the Montawals was issued by Judge Alandrex Betoya.

In August 2016, Mayor Montawal and Vice Mayor Montawal were among the eight local officials who turned themselves in to authorities after President Rodrigo Duterte accused them of being involved in the drug trade.

They denied the allegation. —LDF, GMA News