Manhunt leads to arrest of 4, seizure of firearms

FOUR persons were arrested and several high-powered firearms were confiscated in two separate raids conducted by the Regional Intelligence Division of the Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 in Toledo City, Cebu.

The subject of both search warrants, Roldan Cansancio, eluded arrest.

Cansancio was reportedly an officer of the labor union at Atlas Mining and is allegedly involved in several killings in the city.

According to Senior Supt. Edward Carranza of the PRO 7, the operatives first went to the Dubay Beach Resort in Barangay Dumlog at 11:45 p.m.

They found Cansancio’s employees allegedly armed. They were identified as Richie Oacan Suarez, 33; Lucio Sagang Yuson, 23; and Cesar Sicuya Paragoso Sr., 70.

Complaints

They also seized an M14 rifle, a 12-gauge shotgun, a Thompson sub-machine gun, a Colt M4 A1 carbine 5.56mm, a Norinco 9mm pistol, a Smith & Wesson 357 magnum revolver, a 38 revolver, a hand grenade and different live ammunitions and magazines.

Chief Insp. George Ylanan of the PRO 7 said they also received several complaints from fishermen who said Cansancio’s employees would threaten residents when they passed the resort.

At 12:30 a.m. yesterday, operatives went to Cansancio’s house in Sitio Anislag, Barangay Canlumampao where they arrested 40-year-old Joy Traña Laspuña.

Allegedly seized from his possession was a .45 pistol with two magazines, eight live ammunitions and one M16 magazine.

Ylanan said they still have to cross-match the confiscated firearms to check if these were used in different killings in the province, particularly in Toledo City.

‘Guns-for-hire’

“We do not know if they are involved with some politicians, but we are studying the possibility that they are guns-for-hire,” he said.

The arrested men admitted being armed, saying someone had been trying to steal their employer’s fighting cocks. They, however, denied any involvement in any crime.

“With the arrest of the suspects, we expect to have lesser crimes committed on the place. I think they do this thing because of monetary consideration or, in short, they are guns-for-hire,” Carranza said.

The estimated value of the confiscated firearms was P400,000.

Suarez, Yuson, Paragoso and Laspuña will be charged with illegal possession of firearms and with violating the Commission on Elections Resolution 9651, or gun ban.