2 barangay heads, 13 others nabbed: Arms cache seized in Batangas raids

BATANGAS CITY — Two barangay chairmen and 13 others, all suspected to be part of criminal syndicates, were arrested yesterday in a series of raids which yielded an arsenal of unlicensed weapons.

The raids on the safehouses of the so-called "Blackshark" and "Bantugon" groups here and in the towns of Mabini and Bauan yielded machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades, assault rifles and large quantities of bullets, said Senior Superintendent Francisco Don Montenegro, Batangas police director.

Seized from brothers Arthur and Roland Blanco, chairmen of Barangays Balagtas and Banaba East here, respectively, who allegedly headed the Blackshark group, were seven assorted firearms.

The Bantugon group, allegedly led by Leonilo Bantugon, who was not around during the raids, yielded 12 firearms, including M-16 and M-14 rifles, and caliber .45 pistols, Montenegro said.

Joint elements of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) and Special Action Force (SAF) conducted the raids following reports that the two groups were lording it over the Calabarzon area — Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon — and were involved in oil pilferage, robberies, hijackings and gun-for-hire.

Superintendent Benjamin de los Santos, chief of the CIDG’s high profile case division, said a two-month surveillance confirmed the illegal activities of the two groups.

Armed with search warrants issued by Judge Cesar Mangrobang of the Imus, Cavite Regional Trial Court Branch 22, the joint CIDG-SAF team swooped down on the Blackshark’s safehouses in Barangays Balagtas and Banaba East here, and those of the Bantugon’s in Barangays Sta. Maria and San Juan in Bauan and Mabini towns, respectively.

Director Jesus Versoza, CIDG chief, said the raids were part of Oplan Paglalansag of the Philippine National Police to neutralize private armed groups. The Naval Intelligence and Security Group assisted in the raids.

In a report, the CIDG said it got information that the two groups were coddling the bomb-maker responsible for the explosion that ripped through the Hummer 2 of Batangas Gov. Armand Sanchez recently.

Sanchez survived the blast with third-degree burns, while his driver and police bodyguard were killed.

Police identified the bomb-maker as the "Nail Cutter," said to be a former member of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

"When (we) arrived, they initially showed us the licensed firearms, but when we further searched (the premises) as indicated in the court warrant, we found the unlicensed firearms. It seems like they were going to fight in Iraq," De los Santos said.

Local CIDG units were surprised about the raids since the CIDG central office did not coordinate with them.

"Mukhang walang tiwala sa amin. Buti pa sa Batangas provincial (police) office nakipag-coordinate sila (It seems they don’t trust us. They coordinated instead with the Batangas provincial police office)," said Chief Inspector Danilo Morzo, field officer of the CIDG-Batangas.

Montenegro, however, justified the move, saying the CIDG central office apparently wanted to make sure that no information on the raids was leaked out. — With Ed Amoroso and Cecille Suerte Felipe