BY EUGENE Y.ADIONG
SAN CARLOS City – Three persons were arrested in this city in separate police raids for illegal gun possession, including a suspected ranking officer of the Revolutionary Proletarian Army – Alex Boncayao Brigade (RPA-ABB) in Negros Occidental.
Around 5:30 a.m. yesterday, the Regional Special Operations Group, in coordination with the San Carlos City police, raided the house of Marlon de los Santos alias Godofredo Bayagong of Brgy. 2.
Recovered were the following:
- M16 armalite rifle with defaced serial number
- seven long steel magazines for an M16 rifle
- 45 rounds of live ammunitions for an M16
- .30 carbine with serial number 6632528
- three short magazines for a carbine rifle
- 39 rounds of live ammunitions
- .45 pistol with serial number BA-32481-11-446
- two steel standard magazines for .45 pistol, and
- 40 rounds of live ammunitions for .45 pistol.
The search warrant was issued by Judge Katherine Go of the Regional Trial Court, Branch 59, this city.
The police described de los Santos as the secretary-general and deputy commander of the RPA-ABB in the 1st District of the province.
However, de los Santos told Panay News he was a former commander of the RPA-ABB.
Still, he insisted that the firearms recovered from him were “covered by the peace agreement that the RPA-ABB signed with the government.”
He claimed that the raid had political motives and pointed to a rival group, the CIS party-list as possibly involved.
Some 30 minutes after the raid that netted de los Santos, another raid yielded firearms.
The subjects were Mario Ramas Sr., 60, of Brgy. Nataban and nephew Jose Ramas, 42.
Recovered from Mario were one Smith & Wesson armalite rifle and 27 rounds of live ammunition.
Jose yielded a Colt Series 80 .45 pistol with serial number 874129, nine live ammunitions and one steel magazine for the .45.
All three were charged yesterday before the San Carlos City Prosecutors Office for violation of Presidential Decree 1566 or illegal possession of firearms.
The Ramas refused to issue statements.
The recovered firearms were deposited as evidence at the City Prosecutor’s Office.
The Regional Special Operations Group elements that conducted the raids were led by Senior Insp. Joel Cabin and Senior Insp. Jovy Cabcaban./PN
