For "illegal possession" of guns, ammo Councilor, 2 others caught

DUMAGUETE CITY, Philippines – A councilor of Bacong town and two of his men were arrested for alleged illegal possession of high-powered firearms and several rounds of ammunition at Barangay Looc in Sibulan town, Negros Oriental Tuesday evening.

The suspects were identified as Jason Laure, 35, married, a resident and councilor of Bacong and his two purported workers, Christopher Palalon, 37, married, of Zamboanguita town and Renato Belcoura, 25, single, of Barangay Nangka in Bayawan City, all in Negros Oriental.

Inspector Rodrigo Tubog, Sibulan Police chief, said the three were taken into police custody following a call for assistance from Brgy. Looc residents who said some persons had illegally discharged their firearms at a quarry site in the area.

Responding policemen, upon arrival at the quarry area, saw Palalon allegedly carrying a long firearm of caliber 223-556 M4 (with Serial Number JCS-032568) loaded with a magazine containing 29 rounds of live ammunition.

The police asked Palalon if he could produce the necessary documents for the items, but the latter was only able to present Mission Order No. 024-EA-11, dated February 01, 2012, issued in the name of Jason Laure.

Tubog said the MO was signed by a certain 1st Lt. Chino L. Cornelio, battalion intelligence officer of the 11th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army based at Brgy. McKinley in Guihulngan City of Negros Oriental.

Another complainant called the attention of the responding policemen, pointing to Belocura who was standing behind a Toyota Hi-Lux pick-up truck as allegedly also armed with a gun. Upon verification, policemen allegedly saw him carrying a KG-9MM sub-machine gun (serial number 471072) and loaded with a magazine with 23 rounds of live ammunition, said Tubog.

Palalon also allegedly failed to present documents such as a permit-to-carry or license for the said firearm, and instead showed another Mission Order, similar to that presented by Palalon. The second MO was also issued to Jason Laure and bore the same date and other information as to the one Palalon had, the police chief said.

Tubog said Laure was also at the quarry site at the time of the incident and introduced himself to the responding policemen as the owner of the weapons.

Laure further told the police that they were forced to fire warning shots because unidentified persons stoned them for a still undetermined reason. He added that the windshield of his pick-up truck was shattered.

The police are now preparing to file charges of illegal possession of firearms and ammunitions against the three suspects who are now currently detained at the Sibulan Police Station.

Meanwhile, Lt. Col. Wilfredo Isaac, the recently named commander of the 11th IB, could not be contacted at press time and had not responded to text messages and telephone calls regarding the alleged issuance of the mission orders to civilians.