By Jennifer P. Rendon
Three men carrying a cache of guns and ammunition were intercepted at the Caficlan Jetty Port in Malay, Aklan evening of June 29, 2020.
Police identified the suspects as Marvin Miranda, 31, a resident of Batasan Hills, Quezon City; Mario Puyal, 62, of Sitio Pusawan, Barangay Ususan, Taguig City; and Adolfo Obiacoro, 34, of Imus, Cavite.
The contraband was discovered after combined forces of the Philippine National Police and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) searched Starlite Ro-Ro vessel, which has just berthed at the Caticlan port around 9 pm Monday.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Gervacio Balmaceda, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group 6 (CIDG-6) regional director, said the operation led to the arrest of the three suspects who travelled from Luzon and planned to go to Negros Oriental.
Information from the PNP indicates that Miranda, a Philippine Army reservist, hails from Villarreal, Bayawan, Negros Oriental while Puyal is a retired Army member.
Obiacoro, a tricycle driver, drove the van they used.
“We received information that passengers from Starlite vessel from Batangas were carrying with them firearms and ammunition,” Balmaceda said.
When PCG personnel and police operatives searched the vessel, they recovered a Sulun shotgun with four long steel magazines and a short steel magazine with 12 cartridges; a caliber .45 (M1911 Rock Island) high-cap pistol with two steel magazines and 23 live ammunitions; a Masada caliber .9mm pistol with four magazines and 61 live ammunitions; and a Taurus spectrum caliber .380 pistol with two magazines and 12 ammunitions.
Also taken from their possession were two holsters, a sling bag, a black bag, an ammunition box with 100 patented rounds and another 100 reload rounds of caliber .9mm ammunitions; two boxes of caliber .45 ammunitions, 77 live caliber .45 ammunitions, and 31 shotgun ammunitions.
Also seized from their possession were two cartoons of caliber .45 ammunitions and another cartoon of 12-gauge shotgun ammunitions; and a steel ammunition box.
The identification cards and pertinent documents presented by the suspects will be subject for verification.
“They did not elaborate why they would visit Negros Oriental, except that one of them is from the area. Their alibi is quite flimsy considering how difficult it is to travel during this time,” Balmaceda said.
Police Colonel Gilbert Gorero, Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) spokesperson, said they have been keeping an eye on Caticlan Jetty Port and several other ports in the region which might be used as entry points of locally-stranded individuals and other persons unauthorized to travel to Western Visayas.
Police Brigadier Rene Pamuspusan, Western Visayas police chief, lauded the accomplishment of the operating teams.
“We will be more stringent in our campaign against illegal possession of firearms and ammunitions in the region in the midst of pandemic,” Pamuspusan said.
The suspects will be charged for violation of Republic Act 10591 or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act and violation of quarantine protocols.
