Policeman killed, 6 injured in patrol car crash in Maguindanao del Norte

Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao del Norte – A police officer died, and six others, including two drug suspects, sustained injuries when a patrol vehicle crashed into a roadside house amid heavy rain on Sunday night, December 8, 2024.

According to Lt. Col. Esmael Mandin, chief of the Sultan Kudarat Police, the accident occurred at around 9:30 PM in Barangay Gang.

The fatality, identified as Corporal Cairodin Rumigas of the Buldon Municipal Police Station, succumbed to his injuries while being treated at the Cotabato Sanitarium Hospital.

The injured include Sgt. Musa Calocop, Cpl. Baseron Aratuc, Patrolman Ismael Tagadaya, and Patrolman Diamalodin Esmail, along with two male drug suspects, both residents of Buldon.

Mandin said that the officers were returning to Buldon after escorting the suspects to the Regional Forensic Unit for drug testing when the accident happened. According to Cpl. Aratuc, the driver of the patrol vehicle, he lost control of the steering wheel due to the slippery road conditions caused by heavy rain.

The vehicle veered off the road and crashed into a house, causing significant damage. No occupants of the house were reported injured.

Authorities are investigating to determine the exact cause of the crash, while the injured officers and suspects are receiving medical treatment. The police have assured assistance to the bereaved family of Cpl. Rumigas and support for the injured personnel.