Seated are NBI officials Nick Suarez, NBI Deputy Director Atty. Eric Distor, spokesperson Atty. Ferdinand Lavin, and NBI-TFAID head Atty. Jonathan Galicia. (Photo by Benjamin Pulta)
MANILA--A former Pasay City barangay chairman, an alleged leader of a gun-for-hire syndicate operating in southern Manila and nearby provinces, has been arrested along with four others during a raid in a house in Cavite, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said Wednesday.
"Expect more operations," NBI spokesperson Atty. Ferdinand Lavin told reporters as he said the agency seeks to send a message to criminals who use elective public office especially barangay positions as cover for their criminal activities.
In hiding since 2014, Maynard Alfaro, a former chairman of Brgy. 143 Zone 23 Pasay City; his brothers Jonathan and Archie; and Romeo Laureanaria Jr. and Henry Moyano, were arrested on April 14 by NBI-Task Force Against Illegal Drugs agents in a house in Cita Italia, a gated community in Bacoor ,Cavite.
The NBI operatives were serving a search warrant issued by the Bacoor City Regional Trial Court Branch 89.
Along with methampetamine hydrochloride or shabu and marijuana, law enforcers seized from the house and Alfaro's Honda Civic were unlicensed firearms, including a Glock 23 safe-action pistol, and a high capacity .40 caliber 1911. A camouflage uniform and bogus Philippine National Police identification cards were also recovered.
With the arrest of the group, Lavin said they expect the gun-for-hire group's "activities in southern Metro Manila will be minimized."
"This shows that some elective officials are into illegal drugs," Lavin said, adding that they hope to connect Alfaro's group to other criminal activities.
The suspects were charged with violation of Rep. Act No, 10591 or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act, Batas Pambansa Blg. 881 (Omnibus election Code) and obstruction of justice.
NBI officials said Alfaro's murder-for-hire group was working closely with Pasay City Councilor Borbie Rivera, who was gunned down last August in the parking lot of a mall in Las Pinas.
At the time, Rivera had been released from Makati jail after he was cleared of a murder charge. Rivera's group was supposedly also involved in a scheme to extort money from detainees at the Makati City Jail who had pending cases.
Rivera's group was also implicated in the case of slain car racer Enzo Pastor who was gunned down by unidentified assailants in 2014 supposedly over a love triangle. (PNA)
