Firearms, ammo seized in Medellin

CEBU, Philippines -  Operatives of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG)-7 seized assorted firearms and ammunitions worth P30,000 in an operation against loose firearms early morning yesterday in Sitio Guisok, Barangay Tuburan Sur, Medellin.

Operatives, armed with a search warrant for violation of RA 8294 or Illegal Possession of Firearms, arrested Lolito Casas Mangas at his residence around 6:00 in the morning.

The warrant was issued by Hon. Teresita Galanida of Regional Trial Court Branch 56 in Mandaue City.

Recovered from the room of Mangas was a rifle AR15 caliber 9mm pistol with one magazine, a Colt Defender caliber 9mm pistol with one magazine, a .22 revolver, a .38 revolver with one round of bullets, two rounds of 12 gauge shot gun, two rounds of .45 pistol, and 15 rounds of 9mm pistol.

Operatives also recovered 450 rolled sticks of marijuana which were taken to the Philippine National Police Crime Laboratory-7 in Camp Sotero Cabahug, Cebu City for chemical analysis.

Mangas is now detained at the CIDG-7 stockade pending the filing of RA 9165 or Illegal Possession of Illegal Drugs at the Danao City Prosecutor’s Office.

Chief Insp. Germano Mallari, team leader, said the arrest was planned after they received the warrant last Wednesday.

Mangas was said to have been a stockholder of firearms from gun makers in the said barangay.

“Siya ang bilinanan ug naay mupalit sa iyaha ra kuhaon. (Gun makers leave the guns with Mangas. If somebody buys, they just get it from him),” Mallari said in a phone interview.

But in a separate interview, Mangas claimed that two unidentified men from Surigao province left him the firearms and promised to get those when they get back next week.

“Sunod semana kuno nila kuhaon pero wala pud ko kahibalo ug pila ang

ihatag sa akoa. (They said they will get it next week but I don’t know how much they will give me),” Mangas said.

Mangas knew that what he did was illegal but said that financial problems pushed him to do such thing.

Last week, about P1M worth of gun-making paraphernalia and gun-making machines were seized in a buy-bust operation conducted by the Provincial Intelligence Branch in Danao City.

The operation resulted to the arrest of Antonio Gian, 71, of Barangay Poblacion and alleged financiers of the illegal activity; Normanito Gian,

41, and Ildefonso Capitan, 52, both of Barangay Guinsay; Benidecto Manulat,

52, of Barangay Cogon; Eldebrando Gian, 36, of Barangay Quisol; and

Gomersindo Bayo, 41, of Barangay Tuburan Sur.

The suspects are facing charges for RA 8294 for illegal possession, manufacture, dealing in, acquisition or disposition of firearms, ammunition or explosives. (FREEMAN)