‘Gun runner’ nabbed in Danao

Saturday, October 29, 2011

BECAUSE of a poor salary he received while he was an army officer, Ariel Tasic Bolivar told the police he left the service unceremoniously.

The 47-year-old native of Surigao del Norte may have earned a pretty sum of money after he went absent without official leave in the 1980s, but he can’t touch cold cash anymore since he was arrested by the police in Danao City yesterday morning for allegedly trying to sneak illegal guns to another province.

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Police seized an assault rifle, two .45 pistols, two .357 revolvers and an unfinished .45 pistol from Bolivar. They also got 10 magazines.

An illegal possession of firearms complaint was filed against the suspect yesterday.

Senior Supt. Patrocinio Comendador, director of the Cebu Provincial Police Office, said Bolivar would have transported the firearms, worth P50,000 to Isabel, Leyte. At 5:30 p.m., Insp. Romulo Torralba, Danao City Police Station deputy chief for operations, said they received information that the suspect was in Barangay Dunggoan and was carrying a carton loaded with firearms.

Personnel from the Danao City Police Station led by SPO3 Nilo Pantoja Jr. and Regional Intelligence Unit 7 led by PO3 Ricthel Arquiza rushed to the area and confronted the suspect.

Bolivar admitted to the police that he already bought guns in the city before, but he did not divulge the name of his financier.

Torralba said they discovered Bolivar has no criminal records in the past.

But they still have to deepen their investigation so they will know whether the suspect has connections with any robbery group.

Bolivar, short and dark-skinned, gave reporters a blank stare when they tried to interview him.

He bent his head and dodged questions with his silence.