By Jennifer P. Rendon
A jeepney driver was caught brandishing a firearm in broad daylight while casually walking in their town.
By his own claims, Antonio Baltar, 46, a resident of Poblacion, Carles, Iloilo, said he was unaware of how things unfolded until he got sober and found himself behind bars.
Members of Carles Municipal Police Station were on patrol when a resident approached them around 1 p.m. of May 11.
The unnamed resident claimed that a person was seen walking on the streets while holding a firearm.
Major Nestor Bacuyag, Carles police chief, said that the drunken Baltar appeared to be surprised when he was accosted by policemen.
“He was manifesting na lasing talaga siya. He was also reeking with alcohol,” he said.
A homemade, break-type 12-gauge shotgun with two ammunitions was seized from his possession.
Baltar did not resist when police brought him to the station.
He sobered up a few hours later inside the jail.
Baltar would be charged for violation of Commission on Elections (COMELEC) Resolution No. 10728 and Republic Act 10591 (Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act).
Based on Police Regional Office 6 records, 205 persons were arrested for gun ban violation since it started on Jan. 9, 2022.
