OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF THE PROVINCE OF ZAMBOANGA SIBUGAY     AFP, PNP FORCES SEIZE TALAIB POINT   Late in the afternoon of Wednesday, October 26, ground troops of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Philippine National Police (PNP) declared “Area Cleared” in Sitio Talaib, Labatan, Payao, Zamboanga Sibugay, the site where the military and police conducted a law enforcement operation for almost a week. After series of attempts to neutralize criminals inside a camp in Sitio Talaib, the AFP and PNP finally took over the said area where the lawless elements under Commander Waning Abdussalam, a known commander of a lawless armed group operating within Zamboanga Peninsula whose activities involve kidnapping, robbery and extortion, hid for almost one (1) week trying to defend their grounds and evade police arrest. The following day of successful take over, members of the military and PNP totally occupied the said camp and started clearing operations to ensure that the area is free from harm and danger. General Ferrer, Commander of the Western Mindanao Command (WESMINCOM) and PNP-09 Regional Director, PCSupt. Elpidio De Asiz, and Zamboanga Sibugay PNP Provincial Director, PSSupt. Ruben Cariaga, personally visited the location of the rebels’ camp and conducted their own assessment and inspection to the area. According to reports, it was revealed that the area is a former camp of the 2nd Marines Brigade Bangsamoro Armed Forces of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), Camp Hadji Suaib Tandotaib, but was totally abandoned by the said group for fear of being attacked and harassed by the more highly armed lawless group of Commander Waning. At the area, members of the PNP Crime Laboratory, Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO), recovered a .50 Caliber Machine Gun with a tripod which was buried in an area inside the camp in a manner like a grave of a human being. Authorities thought it was a grave of a dead body of one of the members of the lawless group but later discovered that it was a diversionary tactic to misled the military and police and never mind the grave leaving the high-powered machine gun untouched by the authorities. SOCO personnel immediately assessed and inspected the recovered machine gun and brought it with them for final examination at the PNP Crime Lab. 102nd Brigade Commander, Col. Santiago Baluyot, stated in an interview that the military is still on the process of assessing and clearing the whole area where the conflict transpired. Authorities are now looking for possible dead bodies of members of the lawless groups and other left-over by the lawless armed groups.