South Cotabato barangay councilor nabbed for illegal firearm

SOUTH COTABATO, Philippines - An elected barangay councilor known for his staunch advocacy against loose firearms ended up in jail Tuesday for violation of gun possession rules.

Joan Listam Lintang, of Barangay Aflik in Tiboli town in South Cotabato, was arrested by operatives of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) who raided his house after receiving a tip from neighbors that he keeps an unlicensed gun.

The CIDG operatives who searched Lintang’s house, armed with a warrant issued by Judge Oscar Noel Jr., indeed found an undocumented .38 caliber revolver in one of its rooms.

Lintang was popular in his barangay and elsewhere in Tiboli, a hinterland town, for being so vocal against illegal possession of firearms.

Senior Inspector Timothy Arciso, CIDG’s provincial chief for South Cotabato, said Lintang, now under police custody, will be charged with violation of Republic Act 10591, also known as the Philippine Firearms Possession Law.