Pulahan members surrender guns, firearms to Bayawan cops

These are the firearms surrendered by members of the Pulahan members in Barangay Kalamtukan, Bayawan City in Negros Oriental. |Photo courtesy of Bayawan Police Station

DUMAGUETE CITY, Negros Oriental — Several firearms and ammunition were surrendered by members of a cult called Pulahan during a police operation at 10 a.m. of February 14, 2020 in the hinterland barangay of Kalamtukan, Bayawan City in Negros Oriental province.

This was the result of the Bayawan Police Office’s Oplan Katok, where the police visited Pulahan members and convinced them to surrender their firearms.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Alfonso Enriquez, Bayawan Police Station chief, has intensified their Oplan Katok after the series of shooting incidents between the warring Condez family in Barangay Kalamtukan, a barangay 40 kilometers from Bayawan City.

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As a result several firearms were surrendered by the Condez family said Enriquez.

These are 2 caliber .38 revolvers without serial numbers and two bullets from Emeluz Condez, wife of slain Barangay Kalamtukan Captain Johnny Condez; a caliber .38 revolver with two bullets from  Barangay Kagawad Ernesto Mayang; a 12 gauge shotgun with 2 bullets from Emilio Navarro, 56, a farmer; and another 12 gauge shotgun with two bullets from Julie Condez.

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Enriquez told CDN Digital in an interview that the surrender of the firearms and ammunition was the result of a series of dialogue and consultations with barangay residents discussing ways on how to end the series of killings involving the Condez family.

“Gi-convince naku sila, ilang leader. Ako sila gipahibalo unsay consequences kung magsige sila ug gunit ug illegal armas. Aplayan namo sila ug search warrant, madakpan ug mapriso na hinoon sila,” Enriquez said.

(I convinced them and their leader. I told them about the consequences of possessing illegal firearms. We will apply for a search warrant against them. Then they will be arrested and they will end up in jail.)

Police Colonel Julian Entoma, Negros Oriental Provincial Police Office (NOPPO) director, for his part, appealed to the residents to lay down their arms or they would be arrested.

“Amo tan-aw naa pa gihapon nagpabilin diha pero subject na sila sa search warrant namo unya. Mao ng ako mensahe sa mga tawo sa Kalamtukan,” Entoma warned.

(We observed that there are still those who still did not heed our appeal. They will later be subject to a search warrant. That is my message to the residents of Kalamtukan.)

Entoma also said that a police community precinct (PCP) had already been established early this month in the barangay to maintain peace and order there.

“Nagubot man gud nang barangay tungod sa away sa pamilya nga nagbawos-bawos ug pinatyanay. Among gisanong ang ilang gipangayong PCP. Basta ila isurrender ilang armas,” Entoma added.

(There has been trouble in the barangay because of the deadly family feud which resulted in a series of revenge killings between members of the family. We granted their appeal for a PCP as long as they would surrender their firearms.)