BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines – A police attempt the other day to seize firearms from a Cagayan town mayor’s car parked in a family-owned cockpit proved futile after no guns were found.
Armed with a search warrant from Judge Edmar Castillo of the Cagayan Regional Trial Court Branch 11, police forced open Tuao Mayor William Mamba’s Toyota Land Cruiser, which was parked in front of the town’s cockpit arena but found no such firearms.
Castillo earlier issued a search warrant based on reports that Mamba’s car contained an unspecified number of high-powered firearms despite the ongoing gun ban in the province.
Senior Superintendent Mao Aplasca, Cagayan police director, justified the search as a legitimate police operation as part of the implementation of the total gun ban in the province.
But former Cagayan third district congressman Manuel Mamba, the mayor’s brother, criticized the search as politically motivated.
“It’s an overkill and abuse of authority on the part of the police,” said Mamba, vowing they would file charges against the police.
The former lawmaker said he had nothing against the ongoing gun ban but that this should be enforced “impartially.”
“We have no fight against the police who are doing their job, only against their officials who are being used by our political adversaries,” he said. – With Raymund Catindig