CIDG denies 'planting' weapon on Asistio son

The head of the arresting team in the controversial Caloocan City drug buy-bust operation admitted yesterday the gun seized from the son of Rep. Luis Asistio was registered to someone else, but insisted policemen never "planted" the weapon.

Bulacan Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) head Chief Inspector Rhodel Sermonia said the caliber .45 automatic taken from Luis "Piting" Asistio III was registered to one Noel Soriano of Valenzuela.

"That is the reason why we also charged Mr. Asistio with illegal possession of a firearm," Sermonia said.

CIDG agents said they were merely forced to fire back when the 32-year-old Asistio fired at them. The congressman's son and his live-in partner, Rosario Ortega, were wounded in the incident last April 5.

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), which is looking into the arrest and shooting of the young Asistio, earlier raised the possibility the CIDG agents could have "planted" the gun during the sting operation.

Sermonia insisted that the gun taken from Asistio was the same one he used to shoot it out with the CIDG agents.

The police official said they were still investigating how Asistio managed to be in possession of a weapon registered to someone else.

"It could have been a case of what we call 'palit-bato' (shabu swap). He may have acquired the gun in one of his drug deals. We are still looking into this angle," Sermonia explained.