Cops smash private armed group in Bulacan raid
PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) chief General Guillermo Lorenzo T. Eleazar on Friday announced the dismantling of a known partisan armed group operating in Central Luzon following a raid in Malolos City, Bulacan which resulted in the seizure of a cache of weapons and ammunition and a large stash of dried marijuana leaves.
The PNP chief said the raid conducted by members of the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) around 10 a.m. Thursday led in the arrest of their main target identified as Jason Relucio King, 46, in his residence in Bgy. Longso.
Recovered by the raiding team inside the suspect’s house were 13 assorted high-powered firearms, dozens of magazines and live ammunition and 11 kilograms of dried marijuana leaves.
“Acting swiftly and decisively on the instructions of DILG Secretary Eduardo M. Año to intensify police operations against partisan armed groups and loose firearms ahead of the election season, our operatives from the CIDG have accounted for a major target last Thursday,” Eleazar said.
The raid was conducted on the strength of the search warrant for violation of Republic Act (RA) 10591 or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulations Act of 2013 issued against the suspect by Judge Nemesio Manlangit of the Malolos City Regional Trial Court Branch 1.
Confiscated during the operation were one M-16 assault rifle, a 12-gauge shotgun, two caliber .22 rifles, one 9mm sub-machinegun, eight handguns of different calibers and assorted magazines assemblies with ammunition and the dried cannabis valued at nearly P2.2 million.
King will face criminal charges for violation of RA 10591 for illegal possession of firearms, and violation of RA 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, said Eleazar.
He added that King has a previous arrest record in Quezon City back in June 2019 with his younger brother Bryan who happened to be a TNVS driver.
He said that during the sting, the two were arrested for conspiring to sell 112 grams of Kush, a high-grade marijuana derivative worth P168,000 to an undercover officer.
However, the case filed against the suspects was dismissed.
“As a standard procedure, all firearms confiscated will be subjected to ballistics examination for crossmatching with the automated PNP database of firearms involved in shooting incidents, while the confiscated Marijuana will be kept in secured storage at the PNP Crime Laboratory while awaiting further orders from the Court for its destruction,” Eleazar said.
“I have instructed the CIDG to uncover all possible links of the suspect with other criminal activities including partisan armed groups,” he added.
