Fratman seized with gun, grenade, drugs

CEBU, Philippines - A young man was arrested after he was seized with a hand grenade, a high-powered firearm, and a pack of suspected shabu early yesterday morning in Sitio Villagonzalo dos, Barangay Tejero.

Gerdy Sianson, 25, a member of the Tau Gamma Phi fraternity, was first reported to be extorting money from the owner of an auto parts shop that he frequently visits.

Chief Insp. Michael Anthony Bastes, chief of the Fuente Police Station, said they conducted the first operation against the suspect around 11 a.m. last Wednesday after receiving information from the shop owner.

The shop owner told Bastes that this time Sianson, who allegedly keeps visiting him just to get money, asked for P6,000 and was carrying a grenade and an Ingram automatic pistol.

The suspect threatened him that if he would not give in to his demands he will kill him, his family and his employees, around 10 of them working nearby, by detonating the hand grenade.

Bastes told him to wait for them before handing over the money, but due to the heavy traffic yesterday and for fear, the shop owner and his family were not able to wait for the authorities and were forced to hand over P5,000 cash to the suspect.

“Pag-abot namo sa ilang balay, wala na ang suspect. Sud-gawas ra man daw na siya didto sa balay, sige pang-extort. Napugos sila og hatag na lang sa kwarta kay maninuod unya kay praning-praning ra ba. Sabog na kay gikan pa nagsuyop. Naka-decide na lang mi nga mamalik kay mubalik ra gyud daw to didto sa ilang shop,” Bastes told The FREEMAN.

Around 11 p.m. on the same day, Bastes received another call from the shop owner that the suspect came back and threatened five of his employees into handing over their cellular phones to him before leaving.

Bastes said that with the help of two assets, they learned that the suspect was still armed when he got into a taxicab.

“Gipangunayan nako ang operasyon. Kursonada gyud ko labi na pagkahibaw nako nga naka-tape ang pin sa granada, so kinahanglan pa to niyang tangtangon kung pabuthon niya,” said Bastes, who was with other policemen and Tracker members Nike Pelaez and Edward Pamplona.

Around 1 a.m. in Barangay Tejero Bastes blocked the taxicab ridden by the suspect. Behind Bastes was the vehicle driven by the shop owner and the patrol car of the Fuente Police. 

SPO4 Mario Revilla immediately went to the left side of the taxicab and managed to open the door. They heard the suspect cocking the Ingram, but before he could fire it, Revilla was quick to aim the gun at the suspect’s head.

Bastes said the other policemen helped and a struggle followed because the suspect resisted until they finally subdued him.

The grenade and shabu were recovered from the suspect’s pocket, including the Ingram which contained only two rounds.

During interrogation, the suspect told the police that he has already killed six people.

Bastes said two murder cases were just recently filed against the suspect and that yesterday another complainant went to their office to file a case against him.

Salvacion Sumilhig alleged that the suspect shot and killed her husband, Delfin, an employee of Sulpicio Shipping Lines, Inc., in April last year over some personal grudge.

Five counts of robbery, illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, and for possession of illegal drugs were filed against the suspect yesterday. He is now detained at the Fuente Police Station detention cell.  (FREEMAN)