THE stepped-up “war on criminality” being conducted by the Police Regional Office (PRO) 4-A headed by Brigadier General Jose Melencio C. Nartatez Jr. in Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) region has caught the attention of a Laguna mayor who praised the former and his men for their ongoing crackdown versus partisan armed groups and illegal weapons, the Journal Group learned on Saturday.

Sta. Maria, Laguna Mayor Maria Rocelle “Cindy” Carolino particularly thanked Nartatez, Laguna Police Provincial Office (PPO) director, Col. Randy Glenn G. Silvio, and officers and men of the Santa Maria Municipal Police Station (MPS) led by Maj. Eviener Boiser for a “job well done” in keeping peace and order in their municipality and addressing some incidents attributed to local partisan armed groups.

Santa Maria is a 2nd-class municipality in Laguna with a population of nearly 35,000.

Carolino referred to the “aggressive” actions launched by the Laguna police force to solve a murder case in their municipality last January 8.

That incident triggered a massive operation that led to the arrest of two suspects in the killing and a series of anti-illegal gun raids in the municipality, which netted dozens of high-powered firearms and ammunition.

“The incident that transpired last January in this municipality and the succeeding actions taken by the police force has brought back and reinforced the trust and confidence of our people in the institution. I know that we still have a long way to go to finally put to rest and make our municipality live in peace, but with your continued support, I have no doubt that it won’t be long,” Mayor Carolina, also a lawyer, told Nartatez.

Last month, upon a request from the PRO 4-A leadership, the Philippine National Police Firearms and Explosives Office (PNP-FEO), headed by Col. Paul Kenneth T. Lucas, ordered the revocation of the License to Own and Possess Firearm or LTOFP of a former councilor of a Laguna town after he was implicated in the January 8 incident.

As a result, Nartatez said that the latter surrendered his 14 licensed firearms to the local police.

Nartatez said that the suspect, a resident of Barangay Poblacion III, asked a friend to turn over a caliber. .22 rifle, a cal. 30 rifle, a cal. 7.62 rifle, two cal. 5.56 M-16 automatic rifles, two 12-gauge shotguns, a cal. 9mm Uzi machine pistol, a cal. .380 pistol, four cal. .45 semi-automatic pistols and a cal. .357 revolver and dozens of assorted live ammunition and magazines to the Santa Maria MPS in the aftermath of a continuing investigation into the murder of local resident Harrison Diamante.

Nartatez bared that the PNP-FEO chief ordered the revocation of the LTOFP of the former councilor and one suspect amid the ongoing police investigation of the two’s purported use of their licensed guns in “unlawful activities” in the province.

The official said that follow-up operations conducted by the Laguna PPO led by Silvio had already led to the arrest of two suspects in the killing of Diamante last January 8.

He added that follow-up operations conducted by the Laguna PPO also led to the arrest of ten others and the confiscation of a cache of high-powered weapons and explosives.

Charges for murder, direct assault and violation of Republic Act (RA) 10591 or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulations Act of 2013 have been filed against the suspects, one of whom confessed that the “contract killing” was ordered by one “Boss Jason.”

The Calabarzon police director said the January 8 murder incident prompted the Laguna PPO to launch a massive operation to get the other suspects and account for their weapons.

The simultaneous raids resulted in the arrest of ten suspects and the recovery of nine handguns, two fragmentation grenades, several magazines, and dozens of live ammunition and later forced Cuento to surrender his high-powered weapons, said Nartatez.