Various firearms and ammunition were seized inside a vehicle owned by a casino financier in Argao town. |photo courtesy of Mandaue City Police Office.
MANDAUE CITY, Philippines – Mandaue City police are now preparing charges against a casino lender who was arrested in Argao, Cebu with various high-powered firearms.
Rolando “Enting/Titing” Pantinople, 46, was arrested in his residence in Sitio Malacorong, Barangay Usmad in Argao based on a search warrant issued by Judge Noel Darren Damian of Branch 26 of the Regional Trial Court in the town.
MCPO deputy city director for operations and spokesperson Police Lieutenant Colonel Franc Rudolf Oriol, said that a case of illegal possession of firearms is now being prepared to be filed against Pantinople.
The firearms confiscated include a Caliber 45 Pistol, Cal. 40 Pistol, an M16 assault rifle, two shotguns, a cal .22 rifle with silencer, cal. 357 revolver, and ammunition among others.
Oriol said that the firearms were possibly used in a gun-for-hire trade and their seizure will help in solving a few cases in the province.
The firearms will be returned to the issuing court before they will be sent to the crime laboratory for ballistic examination and cross-matching.
Moreover, Oriol said that the firearms were recovered inside a car which is the subject of the search warrant. The car was found inside the property of Pantinople in Argao.
He said that the car was used in the shooting to death of Conrado Cosares Gemilga, 44, from Duljo Fatima, Cebu City, who was a casino lending collector.
The shooting happened along E.O Perez St. in Barangay Subangdaku, Mandaue City on January 31.
MCPO deputy city director for operations and spokesperson Police Lieutenant Colonel Franc Rudolf Oriol.
Oriol said that based on the investigation, the car dropped the alleged gunman near the casino. The gunman for the victim to come out then followed him onboard a motorcycle and shot him.
“So klaro kaayo ang partisipasyun sa maong sakyanan, mao nay dakong pangutana dinha ngano’ng naa sa iyang property niya naa pa gyuy daghan nga armas. Nisamot karun atoang pagduda nga kini siya nga suspetsado usa ka miyembro o dakong parte sa gun-for-hire nga nag-operate sa Cebu Province,” said Oriol.
Oriol said they are looking at their business in the casino as investors and collectors as the possible motive of the killing. The investigation is ongoing, he said.
Oriol added that there could be four suspects involved in the shooting, including the driver of the getaway motorcycle. /rcg
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