2 sued for illegal firearms

CEBU, Philippines – A criminal case for violating firearms laws were filed yesterday against two people suspected of manufacturing and possessing illegal firearms.

One of them was identified as Dindo Pitogo, a resident of Barangay Corte, Carmen town, who was arrested by the elements of the Metro Cebu Criminal Investigation and Detection Group last September 3, 2010 by virtue of a search warrant issued by Regional Trial Court Branch 10 judge Soliver Peras.

He was arrested for unlawful manufacture and possession of instruments used or intended to be used in the manufacture of firearms in violation of Republic Act 8294 or illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.

During the search, the team found in the house of Pitogo three unfinished .45 cal. pistols, two .45 cal. magazines, two 9mm cal. magazines, a grinder, a drilling ma-chine and various tools used in manufacturing firearms.

The other man was retired Iloilo policeman Rodolfo Montejo, 53, a resident of Negros Occidental, was arrested by the elements of Tabuelan Police Station last Saturday at the Tabuelan Wharf in Tabuelan town.

He was arrested carrying three .38 cal. revolvers, two caliber .45 cal. pistols, two .357 revolvers, a shotgun and an Ingram machine pistol. 

Orlando Pinuela, a retired member of the Philippine Army and a resident of Tabuelan town, said in his affidavit that he received a text message from a former colleague in Danao City informing him that a man was carrying a suspicious black bag out of town.

Pinuela said that his friend believed the bag contained assorted firearms because he saw the carrier test-fire some guns in Danao City.

Pinuela said that he immediately went to the police and a team of policemen went to the wharf, saw Montejo and found him carrying the guns when they accosted him.

He added that it is already common knowledge to the police that the wharf is used as transshipment point of gun runners from Danao City. (FREEMAN)