AUTHORITIES seized unlicensed firearms and explosives during a raid early Friday morning, August 24, at the house of a wealthy couple who went viral after beating up an enforcer over traffic altercation in Makati City.
Armed with a search warrant issued by the Makati City Regional Court, policemen from the National Capital Region Police Office led by NCRPO Chief Director Guillermo Eleazar raided the house of Arnold Padilla in Magallanes Village.
A caliber .45, a shotgun and two grenades were found in two canisters placed inside one of the cabinets in the pantry.
Padilla said he owns the two firearms, which he claimed were properly licensed, but insisted that the grenades were just planted by the police.
He will be charged with illegal possession of firearms.
In a closed circuit television camera footage in Barangay Magallanes on August 13, a black car, being tailed by a sports utility vehicle, was seen beating the traffic light, prompting the traffic police to flag it down.
Padilla and his partner alighted from the black car and a heated argument ensued between them and the traffic personnel.
The couple’s bodyguard, who alighted from the SUV, attacked and punched one of the traffic personnel, who in defense hit them with a baton.
The traffic enforcers filed charges of direct assault against a person in authority against the couple.
Eleazar said the police sought for the issuance of a search warrant against Padilla not because of the viral video but because of the revocation of Padilla's license to possess firearms after submitting a fake drug test result and due to numerous complaints against the latter.
"Gusto nating linawin na before nag-viral (‘yung video), na nagkaroon ng situation, na sinuntok ng mga security guards niya yung mga traffic enforcers, may case build-up tayo dahil sa mga report na meron siyang armas at nananakot," he said.
"Napag-alaman natin na as early as April pala, na-revoke na ang kanyang mga lisensya kasi nag-submit siya ng fake drug test result nung mag-aapply siya ng license to possess firearms," he added.
Eleazar said based on the record of the Firearms and Explosives Office, Padilla has at least five firearms.
After the raid, Eleazar said Padilla asked to be brought to a private hospital for he is not feeling well.
But Eleazar said he will be brought to the hospital in Camp Bagong Diwa instead.
"Balita ko nagpadala ng ambulansiya 'yung St Luke's at sinabing masama ang pakiramdam at dadalhin sa ospital 'yung suspek," he said. "Magre-relax lang iyan sa ospital. Hindi puwedeng ganun, na tayo'y pinaiikutan nitong mga ito."
Makati City Police Chief Rogelio Simon earlier said neighbors of the couple have also complained against Padilla.
In a barangay blotter, Magallanes village's security guard complained of being insulted and threatened by Padilla after the former responded to a commotion in the area that the latter and his friends have caused.
Simon said Padilla was also the primary suspect in the "gift bomb" incident that resulted in the killing of his sister Yvonne Geraldine Padilla-Chua and wounding of his niece who was then six years old.
The killing of Chua, according to their cousin, Manuel, was allegedly due to rivalry on inheritance. Manuel pointed to Padilla and his mother as the mastermind. (SunStar Philippines)