Man arrested for carrying guns at port

CEBU, Philippines - A 55-year-old man was arrested for reportedly carrying two homemade guns while undergoing an inspection at the Pier 1, Cebu City last Thursday night.

Ceferino Sagaral Tagupa, a resident of Ibabao-Poblacion in Loay, Bohol allegedly tried to escape from authorities when the port’s security guard discovered he was carrying the weapons.

Investigation showed that Tagupa approached the secondary gate of Pier 1 to board a ferry boat bound for Bohol while carrying a box wrapped all over with a packaging tape at 8:30 p.m.

Upon entering the gate manned by security guard Dexter Tundag, 25, Tagupa was subjected to a body search as a standard operating procedure and the box he was carrying was also inspected.

Tundag, who is connected to Golden Dragon Sun Security Agency, inspected the box which allegedly felt heavy. He later realized that the box contained guns when he felt the barrel and the revolver inside the box.

But before the security guard finished inspecting the box, the suspect reportedly took it away and hurriedly ran outside the port towards Arellano Boulevard. The suspect was seen throwing the box in front of the office of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources while running way.

Tundag ran after Tagupa and immediately sought assistance from the roving policemen, who joined the chase that ended up in the arrest of the suspect near the junction of V. Sotto Street and Arellano Boulevard. The box that contained the firearms was also recovered.

The box reportedly contained two pieces of homemade caliber .38 revolvers.

The suspect was detained at Waterfront Police Station detention cell pending filing of illegal possession of firearms case against him in court. — THE FREEMAN