Alleged assassin, murder suspect nabbed in raids vs loose firearms

MANILA -- Separate raids conducted by police operatives aiming to seize loose firearms led to the arrest of a murder suspect and an alleged gun-for-hire, a police official said.

Police Director Samuel D. Pagdilao, Jr., chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), said his men recovered a number of illegal firearms and ammunition in the residence of Patrick A. Caronan at Valleyview Royale Subdivision, Antipolo City on August 31.

Among those weapons seized in Caronan's house include an armalite rifle, a guage shotgun, and a fragmentation grenade.

Caronan and his four companions in his home were arrested by the CIDG agents who were armed with a search warrant issued by local courts against the former.

Authorities later discovered that one of the suspects identified as Victor S. Belardo has a standing warrant of arrest for murder issued by branch 18 of the Tagaytay City Regional Trial Court (RTC).

Meanwhile on the same day, Pagdilao said CIDG operatives in the Central Mindanao Region confiscated loose firearms in a residence in General Santos City.

On Saturday afternoon, CIDG operatives together with Community Investigative Support (CIS) implemented a search warrant issued by branch 35 of the General Santos City RTC against Edwin P. Aficionado at his residence in Paradise Subdivision in Barangay Heights.

Three firearms were recovered by operatives from the house of Aficionado, who is allegedly linked to a gun-for-hire group operating in the region, according to an initial investigation.

The recent arrests meet the police group's directive to ensure peaceful elections next year, said Pagdilao, who also thanked the CIS.

"[We] welcome the efforts of the CIS in helping us meet this mandate," he said.

The CIS is a community-based volunteer group assisting the CIDG in its operations by providing information, logistics support, among others. (Emmanuel Louis Bacani)