Ex-barangay councilman falls for gun possession

A former barangay kagawad of Banilad who is now a utility worker at Cebu City Hall was arrested after police recovered assorted firearms and rifles from his house yesterday morning.

Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-7 raided the house of Anecito Ocampo, 59, a resident of Ouano Compound, barangay Banilad after police received information that he was frequently seen carrying gun by his neighbors.

Armed with search warrant issued by RTC Branch 62 Judge Geraldine Faith Econg, a team from the CIDG-7 led by Supt. Rex Derilo swooped down on the house of Ocampo where the firearms were recovered.

Police seized a .45 caliber pistol; a 9mm pistol; a .22 Winchester rifle; one .357 revolver; a US .30 caliber M2 Carbine Rifle; one magazine each for 9mm and .45 pistols; seven live .45 bullets; 20 live bullets for 9mm; one magazine for the M2 Carbine Rifle and 20 live bullets; one magazine for a .22 rifle and two live bullets.

Derilo told reporters that upon learning of the complaints of Ocampo’s neighbors, they checked with Firearms, Explosives Security Agency and Guards Supervision Section (FESAGSS) and found out that the suspect is not a registered gun owner.

The police official said that when they apprehended Ocampo and asked for documents to prove the legality of his ownership of the guns, the suspect reportedly showed them an expired gun license for the .9mm which they will again check with the FESAGSS 7 for verification. He said Ocampo could not show documents for the other guns.

Ocampo, when interviewed by reporters, yesterday admitted owning the .9mm and the .45 pistols but said all these are documented and licensed. He denied ownership of the other guns.

According to him, the other firearms were not recovered in his room and were merely found in the ground floor of the house and are allegedly owned by the house owner, a claim that Derilo denied.

Ocampo suspected that the raid in his house was “framed” because of his son’s alleged involvement in the killing of a fireman last August 2007.

Ocampo’s son, Ronald, was accused of shooting and killing SFO4 Wenceslao Opone in what he described as personal grudges between the two. An arrest warrant has already been released for the arrest of Ronald.

According to Ocampo he has not communicated with his son after Opone’s killing.

Derilo said they would be bringing the two pistols to the PNP Crime Laboratory 7 for ballistics examination to check whether one of these guns were used in the killing of Opone as reports said the gunman used a pistol in the shooting.

Ocampo has served as chief tanod of Banilad from 1982 until 1994 and run for barangay councilor and won and served as a kagawad from 1994 until his third term in 2007.

He said he is now working at the City Hall as utility worker to continue serving the public. — Edwin Ian Melecio/WAB