13 'tuko' traders nabbed for carrying guns

MANILA, Philippines - Thirteen persons engaged in the illegal trade in geckos (tuko) were arrested for carrying guns during a meeting at a restaurant in Quezon City Sunday night.

At the time of their arrest, the suspects were at the restaurant along Commonwealth Avenue for a business transaction, according to Superintendent Edgardo Pamittan, commander of the Quezon City Police District Station 5. “They admitted they are in the buying and selling of tuko,” he said in an interview.

Pamittan said the suspects yielded at least three handguns and an M15 baby Armalite. “They (suspects) could not present the papers for the firearms they were carrying,” he said.

He said most of the suspects are from Tarlac and Pangasinan but some are also residents of Metro Manila. They were identified as Virgilio Lim, Edwin Tucay, Ronald Cuson, Benito Apostol, Billy Apostol, Ferdinand Apostol, Zaldy Bataan, Nestor Castañeda, Alexander Apostol, Roselyn Hernandez, Mark Alvin Sevilla, Christopher Valdez, and Florante Santos.

Pamittan said the suspects were in a dark green Mitsubishi Hi-Ace van (AEC-438), a black Mitsubishi Adventure (RJB-866), a gray Honda Civic (ZLA-164) and a green Nissan Urvan (ZND-710).

“Somebody, who might have been alarmed by their presence, informed our DTOC (district tactical operations center) about the armed men there,” Pamittan said.