Sunday, September 09, 2007 Apalit councilor nabbed for ‘hot’ guns By Marna H. Dagumboy
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- The PNP flagship program against loose firearms has again gained significant accomplishment with the recent arrest of a councilor from Apalit town who allegedly yielded several firearms and ammunition.
Pampanga Police Provincial Director Keith Ernald Singian identified the suspect as Cruzaldo Capili Guanzon of Barangay Paligui in the town.
Singian said Guanzon was arrested by virtue of a search warrant issued by Judge Edgar Chua of the San Fernando City Regional Trial Court Branch 47 for charges of illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.
Confiscated from the suspect were one caliber .38 revolver, a caliber .45 pistol, a baby armalite elisco, an M16 armalite rifle, handgrip, laser, light sling and ammunition.
According to Singian, Guanzon failed to present pertinent documents for the confiscated items when accosted.
“We want the people to feel safe and secure through our relentless effort in tracking down criminals who continue to threaten the peace and order of the province by the use of these ‘hot’ firearms,” he said.
The councilor is now detained at the Pampanga Provincial Jail in San Fernando City. A bail of P80,000 was recommended for the suspect’s temporary release.
The arrest of Guanzon, Singian said, is in line with the program of the Pampanga police dubbed “Task Force Armas” which aims to reduce, if not eradicate, the number of illegal/loose firearms and ammunition within the province.
“We will continue to conduct aggressive and sustain police operations to confiscate all illegal/loose firearms within the province especially now that the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections is fast approaching, where we will expect to encounter crime incidents involving the use of these firearms,” Singian said.
During police investigation, Guanzon insisted that the seized firearms are all documented.
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