A LOSING vice gubernatorial candidate in Sulu and three others were nabbed by police in Barangay West Crame, San Juan last Saturday for allegedly supplying high-powered firearms to the Abu Sayyaf and war lords in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao.
PNP chief Ronald dela Rosa identified the suspects as Unding Kenneth Isa, a native of Indanan, Sulu who ran as an independent candidate for Sulu vice governor last May, and his alleged cohorts – Hja Risdimona Isa, Aljamer Akarab Mandih, and Hurbin Alhi Sahibul.
Recovered from their safehouse was a cache of M203 grenade launchers, M14s, M16s, and thousands of ammunition worth more than P6 million.
Dela Rosa said “most of the ammos are traced back to the government arsenal. All others are still being traced.”
He said the group transports the illegal items from Manila to Zamboanga City via the Roll-On, Roll Off transportation system. From Zamboanga, the goods are ferried to Sulu.
Chief Supt. Roel Obusan, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group chief, said they started conducting surveillance operations when they learned of Isa’s illegal activities last July.
Obusan also said the three others who were arrested along with Isa are still under investigation, adding there was no evidence they are directly involved in gunrunning.
“‘Yung tatlo na nahuli sa house during the implementation of (the) search warrant, wala kaming nakita na kanilang participation on the syndicated gun smuggling kaya we still have to look into it. Hindi sila taga-doon, nagkataong bumisita lang. Hindi pa tapos investigation but we are just very, very careful in filing cases. Remember they also have rights and we respect that,” he said.
Obusan said he has also received information that a number of unidentified ASG men travelled to Manila last August to buy a cache of M203s, M14s, and explosive components, and thousands of ammos on orders of an unidentified ASG commander to boost the group’s kidnapping and bombing operations.
Obusan said the firearms and ammos seized from Isa and the three men were set to be delivered to Mindanao.
Obusan said Isa came to Manila with his wife in 2012 and put up a garments store at Farmers Market in Cubao, Quezon City. He said Isa has four firearms registered under his name.
SOLDIERS WARNED
The Armed Forces yesterday warned soldiers against pilfering and selling weapons and ammunitions to enemies of state and to civilians, saying this is punishable by dishonorable discharge from the service.
AFP public affairs office chief Col. Edgard Arevalo issued the warning three days after police operatives arrested an alleged gunrunning syndicate leader and three of his men in San Juan.
The PNP presented yesterday Isa to the media along with seized firearms and ammunition with markings “government arsenal.”
“We are saying that we are not going to take this lightly. The Armed Forces is very keen, very seriously looking into this because this is no small offense,” Arevalo told a press briefing in Camp Aguinaldo.
“This is a serious offense under the law or under our Articles of War. This is also a huge offense to our fellow soldiers, where firearms and ammunition are possibly sold to civilians and to our enemies,” added Arevalo.
He said it was possible the suspects arrested by the PNP in San Juan are indeed selling weapons and ammunition that were pilfered by “misfits” in the military.
Arevalo bared that two soldiers, T/Sgt. Santiago Caasi and S/Sgt. Jeffrey Ordoño, were arrested last week in Basilan and Compostela Valley, respectively, for ammunition pilferage. He said the two are facing trial by general court martial.
“This only goes to show that indeed there are some misfits in the military service that we are not going to allow to grow in number. We are taking action to stop this wrongdoing, a huge offense in the Armed Forces,” Arevalo said.
He said the military is coordinating with the PNP for the identification of the sources of the pilfered weapons and ammunition and “to ferret out the truth and other information that may be obtained.” – With Victor Reyes
Source : by RAYMOND AFRICA, Business Mirror
PNP chief Ronald dela Rosa identified the suspects as Unding Kenneth Isa, a native of Indanan, Sulu who ran as an independent candidate for Sulu vice governor last May, and his alleged cohorts – Hja Risdimona Isa, Aljamer Akarab Mandih, and Hurbin Alhi Sahibul.
Recovered from their safehouse was a cache of M203 grenade launchers, M14s, M16s, and thousands of ammunition worth more than P6 million.
Dela Rosa said “most of the ammos are traced back to the government arsenal. All others are still being traced.”
He said the group transports the illegal items from Manila to Zamboanga City via the Roll-On, Roll Off transportation system. From Zamboanga, the goods are ferried to Sulu.
Chief Supt. Roel Obusan, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group chief, said they started conducting surveillance operations when they learned of Isa’s illegal activities last July.
Obusan also said the three others who were arrested along with Isa are still under investigation, adding there was no evidence they are directly involved in gunrunning.
“‘Yung tatlo na nahuli sa house during the implementation of (the) search warrant, wala kaming nakita na kanilang participation on the syndicated gun smuggling kaya we still have to look into it. Hindi sila taga-doon, nagkataong bumisita lang. Hindi pa tapos investigation but we are just very, very careful in filing cases. Remember they also have rights and we respect that,” he said.
Obusan said he has also received information that a number of unidentified ASG men travelled to Manila last August to buy a cache of M203s, M14s, and explosive components, and thousands of ammos on orders of an unidentified ASG commander to boost the group’s kidnapping and bombing operations.
Obusan said the firearms and ammos seized from Isa and the three men were set to be delivered to Mindanao.
Obusan said Isa came to Manila with his wife in 2012 and put up a garments store at Farmers Market in Cubao, Quezon City. He said Isa has four firearms registered under his name.
SOLDIERS WARNED
The Armed Forces yesterday warned soldiers against pilfering and selling weapons and ammunitions to enemies of state and to civilians, saying this is punishable by dishonorable discharge from the service.
AFP public affairs office chief Col. Edgard Arevalo issued the warning three days after police operatives arrested an alleged gunrunning syndicate leader and three of his men in San Juan.
The PNP presented yesterday Isa to the media along with seized firearms and ammunition with markings “government arsenal.”
“We are saying that we are not going to take this lightly. The Armed Forces is very keen, very seriously looking into this because this is no small offense,” Arevalo told a press briefing in Camp Aguinaldo.
“This is a serious offense under the law or under our Articles of War. This is also a huge offense to our fellow soldiers, where firearms and ammunition are possibly sold to civilians and to our enemies,” added Arevalo.
He said it was possible the suspects arrested by the PNP in San Juan are indeed selling weapons and ammunition that were pilfered by “misfits” in the military.
Arevalo bared that two soldiers, T/Sgt. Santiago Caasi and S/Sgt. Jeffrey Ordoño, were arrested last week in Basilan and Compostela Valley, respectively, for ammunition pilferage. He said the two are facing trial by general court martial.
“This only goes to show that indeed there are some misfits in the military service that we are not going to allow to grow in number. We are taking action to stop this wrongdoing, a huge offense in the Armed Forces,” Arevalo said.
He said the military is coordinating with the PNP for the identification of the sources of the pilfered weapons and ammunition and “to ferret out the truth and other information that may be obtained.” – With Victor Reyes
Source : by RAYMOND AFRICA, Business Mirror
No comments:
Post a Comment