AGENTS of the National Capital Region Field Unit of the Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) on Friday seized 53 high-powered weapons and ammunition in simultaneous raids in Marikina City last Sept. 29, PNP chief General Benjamin C. Acorda Jr. announced Monday.

The top cop said the owner of the raided establishments, Anthony Christian Bragais, of 9815 T. Basa St. in Barangay Concepcion Dos, Marikina City, was arrested during the operation.

The PNP chief commended the PNP-CIDG, headed by Major Gen. Romeo M. Caramat Jr. and his men from the CIDG National Capital Region Field Unit led by Colonel Hansel M. Marantan, for launching the successful anti-illegal gun raids.

“Accordingly, the arrested person had no license to operate a firearms business and had not submitted any application to the PNP’s Firearms and Explosives Office for dealing and manufacturing firearms,” Acorda said.

According to the PNP chief, the suspect uses his establishment and social media to trade unlicensed firearms. His most usual customers are gun enthusiasts, politicians with alleged private armies, and some uniformed members of the PNP and the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

The suspect was also discovered to be selling gun suppressors or ‘silencers,’ which is strictly prohibited by the law.

Thus, he ordered PNP-FEO director Brigadier Gen. Paul Kenneth T. Lucas to monitor gun stores and firing ranges and other similar establishments believed to be engaged in the same illicit business.

Caramat said that members of the Southern and Eastern Metro Manila District Field Units, led by Lieutenant Colonels Stefanio Andrenicus Rabino and Niño Lope Briones, supervised the raids armed with two search warrants for violation of Republic Act 10591 or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulations Act of 2013.

“This is part of our intensified effort to account for loose firearms under our flagship program Oplan: Paglalansag Omega,” he said.

The official said the raid at the Bragais residence yielded one caliber 5.56 Sniper rifle, a 9mm rifle, one 5.56 rifle, a 9mm Ingram machine pistol, a cal. .45 sub-machine gun, two 12-gauge shotguns, three cal. .38 revolvers, four cal. .22 pistols, two cal. .22 rifles, one Springfield rifle of unknown caliber and an improvised cal. .45 sub-machine gun.

Also seized were four cal. .22 magazines, five 5.56 magazines, five 9mm magazines, one cal. .45 magazine, nine lower receivers for pistol and rifle, four pistol barrels, four firearm grips and assorted live ammunition for cal. 9mm, 5.56 and .22 guns.

A follow-up raid at no. 81 M.H. del Pilar St. in Bgy. Calumpang more than an hour later led in the confiscation of two Noveske rifles, one M1A rifle, two Carbine automatic rifles, a 12-gauge shotgun, a cal. .45 pistol, a Llama cal. .45 pistol, one Colt .380 pistol, a cal. .38 revolver, a cal. .22 revolver and a Taurus cal. .45 pistol.

Also seized inside the raided area were one dismantled F4 ACK, a cal. .22 rifle fitted with a scope, two assembled shotguns, two M-14 barrels with upper receivers, one AK-47 barrel with upper receiver, one airgun, two AR9 PLC upper receivers, 10 pile buttstocks, four shotgun barrels, a cal. .38 revolver without serial number, three .38 blank receivers, three 9mm blank receivers, two boxes each containing 50 9mm live ammunition, eight live M1A ammunition and 200 rounds of cal. .22 bullets, three cal. .45 magazines, 10 cal. .45 live ammunition, 12 rounds of 9mm bullets, four cal. .22 magazines, two Carbine magazines, 100 pieces of M-16 slugs, 500 pieces of Carbine slugs, three boxes each containing 50 spent cartridges and assorted gun accessories and spare parts.

Col. Marantan said that overall, they recovered a total of eight long firearms and 12 short firearms inside the residence of Bragais while the second raided establishment, Nemesis Arms Defense, yielded 18 long firearms and 15 short firearms.

Nemesis Arms Defense is a manufacturer and supplier of guns and spare parts and accessories, including suppressors.

The PNP-CIDG men were assisted by officers from the Eastern Police District Intelligence Division and the Marikina City Police Station under Brigadier Gen. Wilson P. Asueta and the NCR Police Office Regional Mobile Force Battalion under Brig. Gen. Jose Melencio C. Nartatez Jr. in conducting the raids.

Col. Marantan said the chairpersons of Bgys. Concepcion Dos and Calumpang and other officers witnessed the two raids.

The two arrested suspects were taken to the CIDG-Southern MMDFU office for documentation and filing of criminal charges for violation of RA 10591, said the official.

AUTHOR PROFILE

Alfred P. Dalizon