Rizal vice mayor nabbed for gun ban violation

MANILA, Philippines - The vice mayor of Rodriguez, Rizal was caught by Quezon City police for allegedly violating of the election-related gun ban at a police checkpoint near the Rodriguez-Quezon City highway boundary before dawn Tuesday.

Jonas Cruz, 38, was released yesterday “for further investigation,” said Police Station 6 commander Superintendent Marcelino Pedrozo Jr. in a progress report submitted to the Quezon City Police District yesterday.

Cruz was flagged down by a police team at a checkpoint on the Litex (Quezon City) - Rodriguez Road in Barangay Payatas B when he drove by at around 2:15 a.m. Cruz, who was in a white Nissan Urvan (NBQ-608), stopped and submitted himself to inspection.

Reports state the team led by Chief Inspector Wilfredo Velasco saw the handgrip of a gun protruding from the floor matting of the vehicle. Cruz handed over what turned out to be a Smith and Wesson .9mm pistol and a magazine with 10 bullets.

Cruz showed the gun’s license card but the police found it expired on May 22. The vice mayor also failed to present a gun ban exemption from the Commission on Elections.

Cruz was charged before assistant city prosecutor Raniel Cruz but was released for further investigation pending the outcome of a dispute on the gun ban’s effectivity.