60 undocumented guns seized in shop near Crame

MANILA, Philippines - At least 60 undocumented firearms were seized during a raid on a gun shop near the Philippine National Police (PNP) headquarters at Camp Crame yesterday.

Police officers, enforcing a search warrant, arrested Joel Mendoza in the Triple A Guns and Ammo Store on Second Avenue in Barangay Bagong Lipunan ng Crame at around 6 p.m.

Several gun parts, 11 long firearms and 53 handguns – including several homemade “paltik” revolvers, four shotguns, a sub-machine gun, an M1 Garand rifle, and a carbine rifle, among others – were seized in the store.

Although the gun shop has an existing license to operate as a gunsmith valid until February 2019, it allegedly also sells loose firearms without supporting documents, according to Senior Superintendent Guillermo Eleazar, Quezon City Police District (QCPD) director.

The shop sells mostly homemade revolvers, which go for a lower price of around P10,000 to P12,000, Eleazar added.

Mendoza claimed that police officers themselves sold handguns to the store but operatives have yet to determine the actual source of the firearms.

The shop is reportedly owned by Mendoza’s mother, a widow who is allegedly a retired policewoman.

The search warrant against Mendoza was issued by Judge Angelene Mary Quimpo-Sale on Wednesday after operatives were able to buy a .45 caliber pistol without documents from the store last week.

The suspect’s brother, who was also the subject of the search warrant, was not arrested during the operation.

Although police are primarily focused on anti-illegal drug operations, Eleazar said there is an immediate need to control the illegal firearms trade as loose handguns are often used in crimes and shootouts with the police.

These gun shops, which have legitimate permits but trade in illegal firearms, contribute largely to the proliferation of loose firearms in the city, the QCPD chief said.

He added that it is possible that there are more legitimate gun shops that also sell undocumented firearms in the vicinity of Camp Crame.

Superintendent Rolando Balasabas, Cubao police station commander, said there are more or less 15 gun shops in the area.