ILOILO City – Police arrested a village councilman in Barangay Manguna, Cabatuan, Iloilo for possession of a homemade firearm.
Officers seized from the house of the 48-year-old Canuto Alcallaga Jr. a 12-gauge shotgun and seven bullets of a .45 pistol.
Alcallaga was taken to the Cabatuan police station after his arrest on Wednesday.
Officers wielding a court-issued warrant searched the house of Alcallaga and found the items at around 7:30 a.m., said Chief Inspector Sullen Domingo of the Cabatuan police station.
Alcallaga faces charges for violation of Republic Act 10591, or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act.
His neighbors have complained that the gun-toting Alcallaga was causing fear among them, said Domingo.
Alcallaga’s arrest was part of the Western Visayas-wide campaign of the police against loose firearms.
Since the Police Regional Office 6 launched “Tokhang Kontra Ginadumili-an nga Pusil” on July 23, 100 firearms without or with expired licenses have been turned over to the Cabatuan police station, said Domingo.
Their owners were still acquiring or renewing their licenses, he said.
Other owners, on the other hand, turned over 15 homemade firearms to the station.
Manufacturers of homemade firearms – locally called paltik or pugakhang – are among the sources of weapons of criminal gangs, which would also use lost or stolen firearms or those with expired licenses, said Chief Superintendent John Bulalacao, regional police director./PN
