10 Army reservists arrested in Quezon City

MANILA, Philippines - Ten men who introduced themselves as reservists of the Philippine Army were arrested yesterday morning after their presence alarmed residents of a compound in Quezon City.

The suspects, who were wearing full military uniforms and bearing guns, said they were just “conducting a vigil” in the area when they were arrested at the MRV Compound in Barangay Commonwealth at around 11 a.m following a complaint about the presence of armed men in military uniform in the area.

They were in a maroon Tamaraw FX (TML-322) and a silver Mitsubishi Adventure (XSU-251) at the time of the arrest.

Superintendent Antonio Yarra, commander of the QCPD-Station 6 said the suspects resisted apprehension by village watchmen, who called in the police.

According to Yarra, they recovered from the suspects four .45 caliber pistols; a .38 caliber revolver, a .357 Magnum revolver and several fictitious land titles.

Superintendent Franklin Moises Mabanag, chief of the QCPD-Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit, said the firearms did not have the proper documents.

Yarra identified the arrested men as Maj. Lee Licup, T/Sgt. Alejandro Ruiz, T/Sgt. Eduard Baliclic, Sgt. Mosulumin Faeldonia, Sgt. Manuel Roño, Sgt. Arnel Labra, Sgt. Jose Abuda, Pfc. Manuelito Piamonte, Sgt. Nicanor Bernasol and Pfc. Jeffrey Villa.

Mabanag said the soldiers are connected to “a unit of the Philippine Army based in Camp Eldridge (in Los Baños, Laguna) that conducts operations here in Metro Manila.”

Complainants Rosalino Ostinado, Fernandico Lisardo, Francisco Vaguel and Teofilo Lima turned up at the police station and claimed the suspects sold them lots in the compound.

“It appeared that the suspects had been in the area before as the complainants were saying they had given them downpayments for the lots that were for supposedly for sale. It turned out that this was not the case since we found out about the fictitious land titles,” Yarra said.

Yarra said that apart from cases of illegal possession of firearms, the suspects will also be charged with estafa, grave threat, trespassing and resisting arrest. – Reinir Padua