Barangay councilman wants service gun

CEBU, Philippines - A barangay councilman has requested Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama to provide him with a firearm, claiming he could not be effective in his job without a gun.

Pulangbato barangay councilman Junray Borbon, head of the barangay council committee on peace and order, said in his letter to the mayor that he wanted a 9 millimeter pistol.

But Rama has yet to act on his one-page letter.

The FREEMAN verified with the City Hall’s property section and learned that the city has run out of 9mm pistols, but there are still .38 caliber and 357 magnum revolvers that are available.

“Kahilas usab anang konsehala uy, mamili man g’yud og armas. Wala uro’y siya mauwaw nga moingon nga dili siya epektibo sa iyang trabaho kon walay armas,” a City Hall official commented.

Records showed that only few barangay councilmen have been issued with city-owned guns because most of the firearms were issued to the police and barangay captains.

Meanwhile, City Hall’s General Service Office (GSO) head Rolly Ardoza said his office had sent demand letters to police officers who still failed to return the city-issued guns.

Ardoza said SPO4 Jose Gesto, now assigned to the Police Regional Office-7, failed to turn over a Norinco 1911-A1 45 caliber pistol issued to him in 2006.

Former City Hall consultant Orlando Secretario also failed to return a .38 caliber Rossi revolver while police officer Gerald Suquib failed to turn over a .45 caliber pistol after he was transferred outside Cebu City.

Ardoza said others who failed to return their issued guns are Edwin Diocos, Edmund Junco, Delfin Bontuyan and Medardo Ritchie Posadas, who used to be assigned to the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group.

Records showed that City Hall issued a 357 magnum revolver to Diocos, and 9mm each to Bontuyan, Junco and Posadas.

Bontuyan said the guns were donated to them by then Mayor Tomas Osmeña because of their valuable accomplishments, although the City Hall failed to work on the donation documents.

“Nagpa-presscon gani to sila sa pagpahatag namo sa armas,” Bontuyan explained.

Ardoza said he was glad that former RTC Judge Cesar Estrera met with him two weeks ago and promised to pay the gun that was lost while under his custody, while former city councilor Edwin Jagmoc and former city administrator Juan Saul Montecillo had returned their issued 9mm guns. (FREEMAN)