NBI-Negros Or agents nab man for illegal firearm

DUMAGUETE CITY, Philippines — Agents of the National Bureau of Investigation in Negros Oriental on Thursday afternoon arrested a man for allegedly wielding an unlicensed firearm during a tigbakay (cockfight) in Barangay Babajuba, this city.

NBI agent Nick Tagle identified the suspect as Gibson Carpio, 36, a resident of Sto. Rosario Heights in Bagacay of this city, who was also found to have a pending case for grave threat.

Carpio was arrested by NBI agents who put him under surveillance, following a complaint lodged against him by someone, whose identity is withheld, who accused him of pointing a gun at the victim.

Coincidentally, the arrest was done during a caravan for processing or new or renewal of applications for license to own and possess firearms in the city.

Confiscated from Carpio were a Norinco caliber .45 pistol with eight rounds of ammunition, and four magazines for caliber .45 and seven bullets for a 9-mm pistol, said Tagle, adding that the suspect had no permit-to-carry firearms document and that the gun had no license at all.

Tagle said they earlier saw Carpio twice allegedly carrying a firearm, but the NBI waited for confirmation from the police regarding the status of his gun.

The Firearms Information Management System of the Firearms and Explosives Office-Civil Security Group of the PNP Headquarters in Camp Crame confirmed that Carpio's name was not

among the list of holders of licensed or registered firearm, prompting the NBI to arrest him.

A charge of illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition was filed against Carpio, a driver of a chain of restaurants, who claimed he carried a gun because of threats to his

life. — Judy Flores Partlow and Juancho R. Gallarde (FREEMAN)