A FORMER village chief and six others were arrested for illegal possession of firearms and ammunition in separate operations in Negros Occidental from August 23 to 29.

In Bago City, Antonio TaboTabo, 65, of Barangay Dulao, was arrested on Wednesday after he was reported for alarm and scandal in the village.

He was allegedly caught holding a .38 caliber revolver loaded with six live ammunition.

In Kabankalan City, Eric Española, 30, a businessman, of Barangay Tabugon, was collared on Saturday after police raided his house through a search warrant for violation of Republic Act 10591 or Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act.

Police recovered from Española a .9mm caliber pistol with a magazine containing 12 live ammunition, another magazine of .9mm, and a sling bag.

In Escalante City, Romulo Ape, 62, of Barangay Old Poblacion, was arrested last Friday in the said village after police applied the search warrant on his house.

Police seized from him a .45 caliber pistol, a magazine of the said firearm loaded with four live ammunition, three live ammunition of 12 gauge shotgun, and a holster.

In Pontevedra town, Jose Percy Eyan, 54, of Barangay Panadan was arrested on Friday last week in the said village after police seized from him a .22-caliber revolver loaded with five live ammunition, three live ammunition of .22 caliber, an improvised 12 gauge shotgun locally known as “sulpak,” and two live ammunition of the same firearm.

In Murcia town, Reagan Penensoro, 24, of Barangay Sta. Rosa, was arrested in the said village on the same day after he was allegedly caught in possession of an unlicensed firearm.

Police recovered from him a .45 caliber pistol with a magazine loaded with three live ammunition.

In Isabela town, Bernard Locsin, 47, a former village chief of Sebucauan; and Victoriano Locsin, 78, of the said village were arrested in a raid last Thursday through a search warrant.

Police seized from Victoriano a homemade shotgun while Bernard yielded a .45 caliber pistol, two steel magazine of the same firearm with seven live ammunition in each magazine, and a KG-9 submachine gun with six live ammunition. (GYM)