TWO persons were arrested for illegally possessing guns in two separate police operations in Compostela town in northern Cebu and Cebu City on Wednesday, September 27, 2023.
The first person to be detained on Wednesday afternoon was Rene Tapayan Sonido, 48, married, from Barangay Panangban, Compostela.
The members of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) Mandaue City Field Unit searched Sonido's home using a search warrant issued by Judge Allan Francisco Garciano of the Regional Trial Court branch 83 located in Mandaue City.
They discovered two. 38 revolvers with eight live rounds.
After confirming the locals' claims that Sonido would go berserk and shoot his gun when he gets drunk, the CIDG agents immediately applied for a search warrant.
Later at 10:33 in the evening, an alleged member of the Jerome Labitad Crime Group, also known as a gun-for-hire group, was apprehended during a buy-bust operation carried out by the members of CIDG Mandaue headed by Police Captain Nigel Sanoy in Barangay Mambaling, Cebu City.
A .45 pistol was found from the possession of the suspect, Wilfredo Labitad Sabella, 50, a driver from Barangay Jaclupan in Talisay City.
According to reports, the suspect was detained on February 20, 2020, for murder.
The CIDG men carried out the buy-bust operation after learning that Sabella was selling guns in the area.
A recovered firearm will be submitted for ballistic analysis to see whether it was used in the commission of a crime.
Both suspects will be charged with violating Republic Act 10591 (Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act) and the Comelec Gun Ban.(AYB, TPT)