BY MAI LADIAO
ILOILO City – A gun-for-hire suspect in Iloilo was apprehended after illegal firearms were recovered during the implementation of a search warrant in Barangay Ungka, Jaro district.
The subject of the Iloilo City Police Office-City Intelligence Unit’s operation on Tuesday, April 9, was identified as Mark Anthony Balasa.
Balasa, a 43-year-old resident of the said barangay, was found in possession of a .38 revolver with a holster, a 9mm live ammunition, a folding knife, and a firearm case.
According to Lieutenant Colonel Antonio Benitez, based on their monitoring, Balasa leads a group paid to carry out killings. Whenever tension rises in the province, he retreats to the city.
Balasa reportedly had a firearm license, but it has not been renewed since 2018, rendering the weapons loose firearms. He claimed he sold them.
Benitez urged current owners to surrender the other firearms, as the police are keen on identifying them./PN
