ILOILO – Three gun-for-hire groups have regrouped and they could be working for politicians, according to the Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO).
One group was based in the 1st District in southern Iloilo while the two others were in northern Iloilo, with one of these operating in the 3rd District, said Senior Superintendent Marlon Tayaba, police provincial director.
The Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) previously bared that 18,000 of the estimated 77,000 loose firearms in Western Visayas were in the hands of criminals such as guns-for-hire and these groups could use the guns during the 2019 midterm elections.
“I have alerted my police chiefs to intensify community intelligence gathering on these groups and conduct operations against them,” said Tayaba.
The filing of certificates of candidacy for the May 2019 midterm election is in October or two months from now.
The 1st District is made up of the municipalities of Oton, Tigbauan, Guimbal, Miag-ao, San Joaquin, Igbaras, and Tubungan while the 3rd District is composed of the towns of Badiangan, Bingawan, Cabatuan, Calinog, Janiuay, Lambunao, Maasin, Mina, and Pototan.
Tayaba declined to identify the three gun-for-hire groups for fear of scuttling the police’s surveillance operations.
“We will enforce ‘Tokhang Kontra Ginadumili-an nga Pusil,’” said Tayaba of the PRO-6’s campaign against loose guns.
While the bulk of the 77,000 loose firearms had records with the PRO-6, the unregistered others may be from other areas or were paltik (homemade) and used by lawless elements.
“We came up with the number based on intelligence reports. These criminal gangs and guns-for-hire are our top priority,” said Chief Superintendent John Bulalacao, regional police director.
He hoped that the campaign would curb incidents of shooting across Western Visayas.
On June 13 at around 6 a.m., 33-year-old Ranny Bibangco, a supplier of quail eggs to market vendors at three big public markets in this city, was shot to death outside the Iloilo Terminal Market while talking to a friend.
The following day, 38-year-old tricycle driver Ely Tipanan was riddled with bullets in Barangay Lopez Jaena Sur at around 7:30 a.m.
As of this writing, the Iloilo City Police Office was still struggling to identify the armed men.
The Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act of 2002 defines a loose gun as “an unregistered firearm, an obliterated or altered firearm, firearm which has been lost or stolen, illegally manufactured firearms, registered firearms in the possession of an individual other than the licensee and those with revoked licenses in accordance with the rules and regulations.”/PN
