Man, 19, arrested for gun possession

CEBU, Philippines - A teenager was arrested Saturday night for alleged illegal possession of a gun in Mandaue City.

Honny Tulod, a 19-year-old school dropout, was with seven companions on Ouano Avenue at around 10 p.m. near the Cebu International Convention Center, when the police stopped them to be frisked.

Tulod ran but police officers caught up with him after a five-minute chase.

The police seized a .38 pistol with three pieces of live ammunition from Tulod, a resident of sitio Salvacion, barangay Maguikay, Mandaue City.

During interrogation, Tulod said he is affiliated with the gang called “Crips.”

Insp. Philip Silva, chief of the City Intelligence Branch of the Mandaue City Police Office, said the police carried out a “saturation drive” after learning that a group of armed men was in the area.

Silva said the group may have had plans to pull a robbery or commit other criminal activities.

Personnel from the Traffic Management Unit and the Traffic Enforcement Agency of Mandaue and 39 members of the Barangay Intelligence Network joined the saturation drive.

Silva said they conducted the operation in light of the increasing incidence of crimes against property, particularly motorcycles.

Charges are being prepared against Tulod. (FREEMAN)