Airport authorities seize assorted guns

The Mactan Cebu International Airport authorities seized Friday morning a shipment of assorted high-powered firearms and ammunitions owned by a security agency based in Davao City reportedly for lack of documents.

Police Center for Aviation Security regional chief Supt. Jose Cosio Jr. said the shipment was seized for further verification.

The shipper, Rommel Pawaon, is an official of Kadayawan Security Agency based in Davao City while the consignee, Romulo Masanding, is a resident of Sitio Matumbo, Lapu-Lapu City.

The shipment included 12 AK-47s, five 12-gauge shotguns, two HK-53s and an M16-A1, aside from various magazines and ammunitions.

Cosio said SPO2 Exequel Mota, who was assigned at the x-ray department, noticed that the assorted firearms were placed inside the cargo baggage.

When the aviation personnel scrutinized the supporting documents of the shipment, they learned that the firearms only have one permit and that their other documents were only photocopied.

They also noticed that the airway bill only declared the firearms and not the ammunitions, which was a violation of the cargo operational procedures.

Cosio further said that the cargo permits did not bear the signature of Supt. Francisco Villaroman, chief of the regional operations division in Region 11 based in Davao City.

Cosio said the representatives of the security agency went to his office yesterday to claim the firearms but were denied pending further verification of the documents.

Regional police director Chief Supt. Silverio Alarcio Jr. submitted a memorandum to Region 11 police director Ricardo Quinto about the shipment.

Region 11 police operations and plans division chief Supt. Francisco Villaroman confirmed that Kadayawan Security Agency transported the 20 high-powered firearms to its branch based in Cebu City.

Villaroman said that Special Bank Receipt Number 58221011 dated August 23 issued by the Land Bank of the Philippines, located along C.M. Recto, Davao City, covered the payment for the shipment.

The police official said that the control number of the four permits that were issued by his office bears the same Number 58221011. He stressed that the control numbers were based on the number of the corresponding Special Bank Receipt issued by the Land Bank of the Philippines.

When reached by The Freeman for comment, Pawaon said their lawyer would discuss the matter with officials of PCAS at Mactan airport.

Regional Investigation and Intelligence Division chief Sr. Supt. Agusto Marquez, who is in Manila for a three-day summit, said that a thorough check on the records of the firearms must be conducted.

Marquez said since AK47 firearms are not locally manufactured, they must have been purchased from other countries, and that the process of importing this kind of weapons must pass through the Firearms and Explosives Division of Camp Crame. - Jose P. Sollano and Edwin Ian Melecio/LPM