Masbate village leader nabbed

SECURITY forces arrested another barangay official in Masbate as part of the ongoing campaign against loose firearms and to make the upcoming elections peaceful, a military spokesman said Saturday.

Richelieu Tamayao, the chairman of Barangay Nipa in Daraga town, yielded a cal. 45 pistol and several rounds of ammunition when accosted by elements of the Special Task Force Masbate during a raid of his house around 5:30 a.m. Friday.

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Major Harold Cabunoc, spokesman of the Army’s 9th Infantry Division, said Tamayao is the second village chairman to be arrested and faced criminal case for illegal possession of firearms since last month.

On February 14, another village leader identified as Barangay Captain Antonio De Ocampo of Barangay Daraga, Placer, Masbate was arrested for possessing three unlicensed high-powered firearms.

“Special Task Force Masbate troops had made several arrests around Masbate province in its bid to dismantle the various partisan armed groups who are involved in various election-related violent incidents in the area,” said Cabunoc.

The task force has already netted a total of 10 members of private armed groups since January. Seven of the suspects are alleged members of the Gerry Solasco private armed group operating in Pio V. Corpuz town who were apprehended with their high-powered firearms on January 20 (VR/Sunnex)