ILOILO City – The Garin family has no ties to the New People’s Army (NPA), stressed Iloilo vice governor Christine Garin.
She issued the denial as she clarified that three of the eight firearms registered under the name of her father, Mayor Oscar “Oca” Garin Sr. of Guimbal, Iloilo, were not turned over to the police because these had been lost some two years ago yet.
“We have a police blotter to support this,” said the vice governor, debunking insinuations that the guns may have been in the possession of rebels.
Friday last week, on behalf of her father and brother, Cong. Oscar “Richard” Garin Jr. (1st District, Iloilo), the vice governor surrendered to the Guimbal police station 14 firearms (five registered to Mayor Garin and nine registered to Congressman Garin).
The Garins gave up their guns after Philippine National Police’s Director General Oscar Albayalde revoked their permits following the mauling of a Guimbal policeman on Dec. 26.
The Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) recently announced it would be conducting an investigation to ascertain if the Garin family is connected with the NPA.
According to PRO-6 director Chief Superintendent John Bulalacao, mauled Police Officer 3 Federico Macaya Jr. claimed Congressman Garin threatened to have him killed by the NPA.
But aside from that, Bulalacao said, he also received text messages about the Garins and the NPA.
“We have to investigate and validate the information,” said the police director./PN
