Town councilor jailed for possession of unlicensed guns

COTABATO CITY, Philippines — Policemen arrested an incumbent municipal councilor after finding an unlicensed M16 rifle and a .45 caliber pistol in his house during a search operation on Tuesday, August 26.

Radio reports in Cotabato City on Thursday, August 28, said Julius Darunday Bomediano, a member of the Sangguniang Bayan in Tampilisan, Zamboanga del Norte, and a former mayor of the town, is now detained and awaiting prosecution for illegal possession of firearms.

Brig. Gen. Eleazar Matta, director of Police Regional Office-9, said Bomediano was immediately detained by operatives of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-Zamboanga del Norte, assisted by units under PRO-9, after they recovered a customized 5.56 M16 rifle and a .45 caliber pistol from his residence in Barangay Poblacion, Tampilisan.

The raid was carried out based on tips from confidential informants about Bomediano’s possession of the undocumented firearms. The search warrant was issued by Judge Wendy Josephine Alico-Famor of Regional Trial Court Branch 28 in Liloy, Zamboanga del Norte, dated August 18, 2025.

Officials of CIDG’s Regional Field Office-9 and Matta separately thanked residents of Tampilisan who supported the operation that led to the confiscation of the firearms. Bomediano is currently detained at a local facility.