4 held for gunrunning in Quezon City

MANILA, Philippines – Three men and a woman were arrested for gunrunning during a sting in front of Camp Crame in Quezon City Friday night, an official said yesterday.

The suspects were apprehended after police officers seized a cache of firearms and ammunition at the warehouse of a firm dealing in packaging materials and office supplies, said Superintendent Jay Agcaoili, who heads the Quezon City Police District’s District Special Operations Unit (DSOU).

Assistant manager Eduardo Obra, 57, reportedly served as the group’s financier and security officer Carlo Estoya as the middleman. House helpers Ryan Quimanhan, 19, and Benky Payla, 20, allegedly served as lookouts. 

Obra’s son, Ryan Christopher, eluded arrest, Agcaoili said.

Police officers confiscated an M-16 assault rifle, five shotguns, a .45 caliber pistol, 20 .38 caliber revolvers, four handheld two-way radios, six mobile phones and bullets of different calibers, Agcaoili said.

He told reporters that they had Obra under surveillance for a month. Obra has been operating Tin Wo Rock Enterprise for more than 10 years. 

Agcaoili said the suspects are not authorized to buy and sell guns.

He said an undercover police officer arranged a deal with Estoya and bought an M-16 rifle and a .45 caliber pistol for P40,000 at a convenience store on Santolan Road. 

Estoya led the undercover police officer to the house of Obra, who accepted the money and offered 20 .38 caliber revolvers for sale.

All four suspects were arrested shortly after Obra received payment for the guns. They are being held at the DSOU detention cell for gunrunning and illegal possession of firearms.

The seized guns were sent to the Philippine National Police (PNP) crime laboratory for ballistics tests. Agcaoili said they are checking if the firearms are registered and if they were used in previous shootings.

He said most of the guns do not have records with the PNP Firearms and Explosives Office. 

Agcaoili said the illegal firearms may have been meant to be used in the 2016 elections.