SENIOR Police Officer 1 (SPO1) Joshua Barile, who was released from detention last December 2017, was arrested again on April 5 for illegal possession of dangerous drugs and firearms by virtue of two arrest warrants.
Chief Inspector John Paul Tovera, head of Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in Negros Occidental, said Barile was collared at his residence in Barangay Alijis, Bacolod City.
Barile is now in the custody of CIDG-Negros Occidental.
The court had set a bail of P60,000 and P80,000, each for illegal possession of drugs and firearms.
The arrest warrants were issued in 1997 against Barile and four others.
He was not yet part of the Philippine National Police (PNP) when the criminal complaint was filed, Tovera said.
Tovera also said that two of the five accused were also arrested, but were able to post bail.
Tovera said Barile is planning to post bail for his two criminal complaints.
Barile was previously charged with illegal possession of firearms, ammunition, explosives and drugs after his house was raided by joint operatives of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI)-Bacolod, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, and PNP in September last year that resulted in the recovery of more than 50 firearms, including M16 and M4 assault rifles, four grenades, more than 1,000 assorted ammunition, and a sachet containing suspected shabu (methamphetamine hydrochloride).
However, he was able to post bail after the court granted the petition for habeas corpus filed by his wife.
Despite the recent court order, his criminal complaints about illegal possession of firearms, ammunition, explosives, and drugs are still pending before the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Barile earlier clarified that the recovered firearms were evidence from the raids conducted by his unit, and these were placed in his house for safekeeping. But the NBI said the police officer has no documents to support his claim.
Barile is also facing two murder complaints after he was linked to the killing of the father and younger brother of Negros Island top drug suspect Ricky Serenio, the alleged bagman of Berya drug group, which the police officer vehemently denied.