Cache of firearms seized in Tabuelan

Police officials show the various firearms that were seized in Tabuelan town, northern Cebu last Tuesday. (CDN PHOTO/LITO TECSON)

A cache of firearms and ammunition were seized as they were about to be shipped from Tabuelan town, northern Cebu to Escalante City, Negros Occidental last Tuesday.

The shipment, which was valued at around P500,000, was reportedly owned by a security agency, but Supt. Marlon Tayaba said they are checking on the possibility that these guns might be used by a group during the election.

Tayaba, chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in Central Visayas (CIDG-7), said further investigation will be made to determine the real purpose of the shipment.

The shipment included almost 50 revolvers, pistols and shotguns.

Three persons were also arrested during the operation that occurred at 1:30 a.m. along the road in Sitio Quasi, Barangay Poblacion, Tabuelan.

The area is around 100 meters away from the port, according to Tabuelan  police station desk officer PO1 John Mark Asendiente.

The Tabuelan police identified the arrested suspects as Mario Sanillo Lamoste, 36 from Casuntingan, Mandaue City who claimed to be  an inspector of GDS Security Agency;   the agency’s messenger Noel Miñoza Abarquez, 29 from Yati, Liloan, Cebu; and the truck driver Pablo Mankit Biabado Jr.

Asendiente said police first flagged down an Isuzu Elf (GFZ-735) driven by Biabado.

Lamoste, who was sitting beside the driver, was seen in plain view with a .38 revolver tucked in the left side of his waist. The gun had five bullets.

When he was asked about its documents, Lamoste could not present anything.

Abarquez, who was driving a red Honda XR motorcycle (3261YY) behind the truck, was also stopped.

Police inspected the truck and found the guns stuffed with rain boots. The guns included 14 9mm pistols, 31 .38 revolvers, 3 shotguns,  handcuffs, 8 boxes containing several live ammunition for .38 revolvers and another box containing 12 live ammunition for 12-gauge shotguns.

Tayaba said they learned about the shipment from an an informant. The shipment was reportedly for Iloilo or Bacolod, but Tayaba said they are currently checking  on the background of the suspects to find out if they were connected with the security agency.

He said the three were uncooperative and refused to reveal information. The three will be facing charges of illegal possession of firearms and violation of election gun ban.
Because of the incident, Cebu Coast Guard Station Commander Agapito Bibat said he will raise the security issue in the ports in the towns with the Cebu Port Authority to ensure that smuggling of guns and other contraband will be prevented.