THE gun that was pawned to a lodging house owner in downtown Cebu City was traced to a former policeman from Bohol.
Junith Barotil had a rank of Police Officer 1 before he was dismissed from the service in June last year, said Senior Supt. Rey Lyndon Lawas, chief of the Regional Investigation and Detection Management Branch (RIDMB).
Lawas said Barotil used to be assigned at the Bohol Provincial Police Office as a tourist policeman.
Barotil was dismissed from the service for going absent without official leave.
Barotil is the registered owner of the .45 cal. pistol based on the firearm’s registration.
The firearm was seized from Ralph Ian Ongsuco Lerio, a 27-year-old resident of barangay Labangon, Cebu City.
Lerio was caught with the gun in a checkpoint in barangay Ermita, Cebu City last Wednesday night. Lerio said the gun was pawned to his father for P1,700 by a customer who checked into their lodging house in Leon Kilat Street.
Lawas said Barotil could no longer be held administratively liable since he is no longer connected with the Philippine National Police.
He will, however, be be facing criminal charge for illegal transporting of a gun.
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