Elements of the Provincial Special Operations Group (PSOG) teamed up with the Samboan police and raided the house of 47-year-old Geroncio Ferolino in Barangay Tangpo.
The team arrested Ferolino who was roused from sleep. Seized from him were five firearms, including a caliber .22 rifle, a caliber .357 Magnum revolver and improvised shotguns. Five decks of shabu, kept in a liniment container, were also confiscated.
Police also found several live ammunition in Ferolino’s house — 113 rounds of caliber .45, 31 for a caliber .50 machine gun, 29 for M-16 rifle, 29 for 9-mm pistols, 65 for caliber .38, 141 for caliber .22 and five for a shotgun — and a rifle grenade and two caliber .22 silencers.
Chief Inspector Juanito Enguerra, PSOG chief, said the raid came after a month-long surveillance on Ferolino who was earlier reported to have made his house a drug den and that he was keeping several unlicensed firearms.
The raiding team was armed with a search warrant issued by Regional Trial Court Judge Simeon Dumdum.
Samboan police chief Marlon Gumabao said Ferolino could recognize the faces of his men so he requested Enguerra’s group to get the warrant and lead the raiding team.
After Ferolino’s arrest, the residents thanked the raiding team for finally netting Ferolino who, they said, was often the subject of complaints for indiscriminate firing in the neighborhood.
His house was also the hangout of habal-habal drivers, who allegedly bought shabu from him, Enguerra said.
Ferolino served the Navy for 19 years, but was dismissed for illegal possession of a firearm. Some five years ago, he was charged with murder and frustrated murder, but was able to post bail in both cases.
PO2 Neil Mansueto, of the Samboan police, said Ferolino was found to be a member of the 1991 Philippine team for the Tri-Service Shooting competition in Australia.
Ferolino is now detained at the Samboan police stockade pending the filing of charges of illegal possession of firearms and live ammunition and violation of the Comprehensive Drugs Act against him. — Freeman News Service