PAGADIAN CITY, Zamboanga del Sur -- Nineteen people, including two policemen, were arrested while 17 assorted firearms were seized by a joint team of military and police forces on Monday afternoon in Barangay Danlugan, this city.
Lt. Col. Marlowe Patria, the Army's 53rd Infantry Battalion commander, said government troops received reports from village residents about the presence of armed men wearing masks riding in two pick-up vehicles in the area.
Patria said the troops consisting of soldiers from the 53IB and the local police responded and intercepted the two vehicles, leading to the arrest of 19.
He said among those arrested were Police Senior Master Sergeant Rex Barmeda, who is assigned with the Zamboanga del Sur Police Provincial Office; and Police Corporal Michael Dagupan of the Pagadian City Police Station.
The others were identified as: Joel Morales, Celso Labayo, Ken Redondo, Anthony Basaya, Art Tesorio, James Mendiola, Jimmy Mendiola, Randy Abad, Antonio Onac, Juvy Siabok, Junifer Daud, Michael Ganub, Jhoniven Sebag, Monching Angalay, Alvin dela Cruz, Dioscoro Escario, and Jason Escario.
Recovered from the suspects were five M-16 Armalite rifles, seven caliber .45 pistols, two caliber .357 revolvers, one 9-mm pistol, one caliber .38 revolver, one caliber .22 revolver, several assorted ammunition and 17 bonnets, Patria said.
Brig. Gen. Bagnus Gaerlan Jr., the Army’s 102nd Infantry Brigade commander, vowed to heighten the military's cooperation with the local police against lawless elements in the Zamboanga Peninsula.
“With the continued cooperation of our people in reporting the presence of armed elements and threat groups in their communities, we can respond at once and prevent these lawless armed elements from disrupting the peaceful and orderly conduct of our elections,” Gaerlan said.
The arrest of the group came a few hours after the Joint Task Force Zampelan (Zamboanga Peninsula and Lanao Provinces) has deployed a battalion of troops for election security duty.
Lawyer Jossil Macute, provincial election supervisor, said the apprehension of armed men "should serve as a warning that the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines)--in cooperation with the PNP--is serious in ensuring the safety of our electorate in the upcoming elections."
Meanwhile, Brig. Gen. Roberto Ancan, the Army’s 1st Infantry Division and the Joint Task Force Zampelan commander, lauded the 53rd Infantry Battalion and the local police.
“The apprehension of these armed elements will certainly help improve the security situation in our area of responsibility and for our people to be more safe and secure especially in the upcoming mid-term elections,” Ancan said. (PNA)
