Raid vs ex-military brass-turned politician prompts gunfight in Cagayan

BAGUIO CITY — Armed men fired at Cagayan policemen who were out to serve a search warrant at the compound of a retired high-ranking military official-turned-politician in Barangay Sampaguita, Solana, Cagayan over the weekend.

Operatives of the Cagayan provincial police office aided by Solana town policemen were trying to serve a search warrant issued against retired Lt. Col.  Thomas Dominic Baluga, his brother Davis Baluga, Danny Pascual de Dios, Joey Anog de Dios, Jordan Lazo Bartolome, Rex Pascual de Dios, brothers Celestino and Eliezer Soriano and Irish Soriano by Judge Jezarene Aquino of the Regional Trial Court Branch 5 in Tuguegarao City, Cagayan, when met by automatic gunfire ensuing into a gunfight.

A suspect, later identified as Joey Pascual, was hurt while Celestino Soriano brothers, Domingo, De Dios and Bartolome fled the compound while the firefight was ongoing.

Police claimed former Lt. Col. Baluga, his brother, de Dios, Anog and Eliezer Soriano were not in the compound during the raid.

Seized from Baluga’s house were two rifle-propelled grenades with bull trap and canister, an improvised shot gun loaded with live ammunitions of 12 gauge, a caliber 38 revolver loaded with six live ammunitions, two 12 gauge rounds, one M14 magazine, 26 of caliber 45 live ammunitions placed in an ammo case, six  pieces of caliber 45 live ammunitions, one sling bag and an air gun.

During pursuit operations, a Remington R4 automatic rifle with serial number DL119180 marked as AFP Property,  two short M16 magazines, 55 pieces of 5.56 live ammunitions of M16 and a caliber 45 Taurus with serial number 912574 with inserted magazine loaded with four live ammunitions of same caliber were caught from Eliezer Soriano, 22; John Mike A. Domingo, 25; Rex Pascual De Dios, 33; Celestino Soriano, 43; all from Barangay Maguilling, Piat, Cagayan, and Jerryco Bartolome, 20; Jordan Bartolome, 34; both from  Barangay Lipatan, Sto. Niño, also in Cagayan.

Baluga, acknowledging the incident, told The Philippine Star, that they are now attending to the cases and treatment of Pascual, while belying the incident is local politics-related.

Baluga, a multi-awarded military officer who once headed the Philippine Army’s 24th Infantry “Wildcat”Battalion under the Isabela-based 5th Infantry Division, ran but lost in the mayoral race in Piat, Cagayan in 2022.  

Accordingly, earlier reports of gunfire coming from Baluga’s compound prompted policemen to seek a search warrant from the court.

Solana town policemen further bared that while they were conducting an inventory of the seized firearms and munitions, two farmers passed by and discovered  that their missing carabao was tied inside the Baluga compound.  They were able to retrieve to retrieve the animal after showing a certificate of ownership of large cattle to authorities.