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PNP-IMEG nabs Bacolod cop for gunrunning

May 2, 2022 Alfred P. Dalizon 339 views

AGENTS of the Philippine National Police-Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group (PNP-IMEG) arrested a Bacolod City policeman for involvement in illegal gun trafficking on Sunday, a report to PNP chief, General Dionardo B. Carlos said yesterday.

PNP-IMEG Director Brigadier Gen. Oliver A. Enmodias identified the accused as Staff Sergeant Gerwin Catolico, a member of the Bacolod City Police Station.

According to the official, officers from the IMEG Visayas Field Unit, with the assistance of the local Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) and the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO6) under Brig. Gen. Flynn E. Dongbo arrested the suspect during an entrapment operation in Barangay Estefania.

The sting was conducted amid intelligence reports that the accused policeman is involved in the illegal sale of unlicensed firearms in Bacolod City and other parts of Negros Occidental.

During the sting, undercover officers watched from a distance as the suspect sold a caliber .45 semi-automatic pistol to a poseur buyer along Bgy. Estefania.

The IMEG Region 6 operatives moved in to arrest the cop after receiving a signal from the agent.

Recovered from the possession of the suspect were one cal. .45 Norinco 1911 A1 pistol with two magazines, 12 marked P1,000 bills, and a mobile phone he used to make the poseur transaction.

Gen. Carlos earlier ordered a much more “aggressive” campaign against gun trafficking in the country to arrest the possibility they would be used in the commission of crimes and disrupt the holding of peaceful, orderly, and fair May 9 national and local elections.

The top cop directed the PNP-IMEG to particularly go after any police officer or men who will be found to be engaged in illegal activities and show no lenience to them.

“I have directed the PNP-IMEG to intensify their monitoring efforts and go all out in our campaign to weed out scalawags who continue to tarnish the image of the PNP organization,” Gen. Carlos said.

The suspect is now being held at the CIDG office in Bacolod City, facing administrative and criminal charges for violating Republic Act 10591 or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulations Act of 2013 and the Omnibus Election Code.

Following the Bacolod sting, Brig. Gen. Enmodias again renewed his call on the public to report the presence of PNP personnel involved in any irregularities to the PNP-IMEG Hotlines: Smart – 0998 9702286 or Globe – 0995 7952569.

Information may also be forwarded to their Facebook Page at “Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group”, he said.

Enmodias assured that the identities of the informants will be kept in utmost secrecy.

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