Policewoman’s husband charged with illegal possession of firearms

The husband of a policewoman was yesterday indicted for illegal possession of firearms and ammunition after he was caught Saturday evening at sitio Himongbongan in barangay Taloot, Argao.

Cebu Provincial Police director Carmelo Valmoria, in a press conference yesterday, said he ordered the indictment of Sammy Albaracin, the husband of PO1 Virgilia Albaracin, after receiving the report of Argao Police chief, Sr. Insp. Teodolfo Manatad III, about the arrest.

PO1 Albaracin was formerly assigned at the Argao Police station but is now detailed at the Samboan Police station.

Her husband, Sammy, was arrested by members of the Special Reaction Unit, based in barangay  Taloot, after they received information about an armed man in sitio Himongbongan.

The SRU, led by PO2 Edwin Rodriguez, caught Sammy and confiscated from his possession a .357 caliber revolver loaded with four live ammunitions. The team then detained Sammy in the Argao Police station cell.

PO2 Leopoldo Godinez of the Argao Police said the police blotter indicated that Sammy, when arrested, was sitting with his policewoman-wife near a group of men playing mahjong.

PO1 Albaracin reportedly admitted to the arresting team that she owned the gun that her husband had tucked in his waist.

Despite her admission, however, the team still arrested Sammy because he was not supposed to possess it and that he also failed to show documents to prove that the gun was licensed. — Flor Z. Perolina/RAE