Cagayan Valley cops arrest bgy captain over illegal weapons
AGENTS of the Police Regional Office (PRO) 2 on Friday arrested a barangay captain in Enrile, Cagayan for illegal possession of firearms, explosives and ammunition, PRO2 director, Brigadier General Steve V. Ludan said.
The official identified the suspect only as ‘Romualdo,’ a barangay chairman in Enrile municipality who is now facing criminal charges for violation of Republic Act 10591 or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulations Act (RA) of 2013.
“This is part of our ongoing stepped-up effort to account for loose firearms and partisan armed groups in Cagayan Valley which may be used to disrupt next year’s polls,” Ludan said in a report to Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, Lieutenant Gen. Dionardo B. Carlos.
Recovered inside the house of the suspect were one M-14 automatic rifle with five magazines containing 57 live ammunition, a 12-gauge shotgun with several bullets, three rifle grenades, three caliber .45 magazines with 42 live ammunition, three homemade 12-gauge shotguns, two rounds of cal. 40 ammunition, one M-16 magazine and eight spent .45 cartridges.
Ludan said they are verifying the records of the arrested suspect with the PNP Firearms and Explosives Office. However, he said it is definite that the homemade guns seized from the suspect are illegal firearms subject for confiscation.
The PRO2 director said members of the Cagayan Police Provincial Office Provincial Intelligence Unit, Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit, 1st Provincial Mobile Force Company and the Enrile Municipal Police Station served the search warrant for violation of RA 10591 issued against the suspect by a local court in the presence of the accused, his wife and a local councilman.
