Thursday, November 06, 2008 Ex-soldier nabbed for gun running By Malu Cadelina Manar Correspondent
KIDAPAWAN CITY -- Authorities arrested on Tuesday a former soldier they suspected of gun smuggling during an entrapment operation in Tacurong City in Sultan Kudarat.
Superintendent Joel Limson, Tacurong City police director, identified the suspect as former Army Corporal Fernando Patenio Macion of Alabel, Sarangani.
Macion was arrested along Alunan highway, in front of a protestant church in Poblacion, Tacurong City, according to police reports.
SPO4 Miguel Biadoma, head of the Special Operations Group of the Tacurong City Philippine National Police (PNP), and some operatives of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in Sultan Kudarat, led the arrest of the suspect.
Limson considered Macion a 'big-time gunrunner'.
"When he was arrested, he was dealing our agent who posted as buyer five caliber .45 pistols. The transactions started Monday afternoon and his arrest was done Tuesday morning," Limson said.
Authorities confiscated from Macion one caliber 45 pistol with serial number 2513732 loaded with one magazine. Inside his white Mitsubishi Lancer GLXI car were five additional short firearms that were also seized by the police.
Also, four empty spare magazines were seized from his black traveling bag placed inside his car, reports said.
Limson said that during the arrest, the suspect introduced himself as a member of the Military Intelligence Group and the Internal Services of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
The investigators also confiscated from the suspect's black waist bag a cash amounting to P110,000 and several mission orders.
Limson said they are already reading charges of violation of Presidential Decree 1866 against the suspect while he's being kept in custody at the city PNP's lock up cell.
