Police seize assorted guns inside PUJ in Consolacion

CEBU, Philippines - Elements of the Regional Intelligence and Investigation Division of the Police Regional Office-7 and the Consolacion Police Station have seized at least 10 assorted firearms that were supposed to be transported to Cebu City inside a public utility vehicle in Consolacion town last Wednesday afternoon.

Chief Insp. Romeo Santander of the RIID said that at around 4 p.m. he received a text message informing him that firearms will be transported by a PUJ from Danao City to Cebu City.

To confirm the information, Santander and his men with the assistance of Consolacion police planned the interception of the vehicle, bearing plate numbers GXA-382.

When the policemen saw the vehicle coming, the immediately flagged it down and searched it that resulted to the recovery of a sack containing a box of assorted firearms.

Confiscated were one KG-9 .9mm pistol, one ingram .9mm pistol, one .357 caliber revolver, one .9mm pistol, three .38 caliber revolvers and three .45 caliber pistols.

The driver of the PUJ, identified as Antonio Valdez and the conductor, Melecio Vasquez, were apprehended and brought to the police station for interrogation.

Santander said most of the passengers say a male person who alighted in Compostela was the one who brought the sack loaded with firearms.

“Ang ingon nila murag naa na sa singkwentahon ang edad unya nagputi og sinena pareha sa information nga ilang nadawat. So, sa among analysis nakabantay siya,” Santander said. He added they believe the firearms are to be brought to Cebu City to be transported to other places through a passenger ship.

During an interview, Valdez and Vasquez denied they owned the firearms and both pointed to the passenger who disembarked in Compostela as the suspect.

“Kato man g’yung lalaki mao’y nagdala atong sako. Nisakay siya diha sa Danao unya ninaug sa Compostela. Ako man ganing gikasab-an ang akong konduktor nganung iyang gipasakay nga pwede raman unta na siyang musakay og traysikol kay duol ra gud ang Danao ug Compostela,” Valdez said. — Gabriel C. Bonjoc/WAB  (THE FREEMAN)