Village chief, two others fall in gun raid

A VILLAGE chief and his two allies were arrested following a firearm raid early morning of May 11, 2019 at Concepcion.

Apprehended were Barangay Captain Edgardo Oro; Benny de Guzman, 54; and Arnel Ambros, 49, all residents of Barangay Agnaga in said town.

De Guzman is a retired member of the Philippine Air Force and reportedly identified as a “barangay administrator” while Ambros is the village’s chief tanod.

Joint elements of Concepcion Police Station, 2nd Iloilo Provincial Mobile Force Company, and 601st Maritime Police Station conducted the synchronized serving of search warrants against the suspects around 6:00 a.m. of Saturday.

Recovered from Oro’s residence was a caliber .45 Para-Ord pistol (serial number 792614) with one magazine loaded with 7 ammunition while de Guzman yielded a rifle grenade.

Ambros, on the other hand, was seized with a 12-gauge shotgun (rifle type), an ammunition for M79/M203 grenade launchers, three ammunition for caliber .45 pistol, and six sachets of suspected shabu.

Police Major Jonah Galicha, Concepcion police chief, said they’ve been receiving several complaints against the suspects brandishing firearms.

“We have validated with our intelligence operatives before we conducted the operation,” he said.

Oro and de Guzman will be charged for violation of Republic Act 10591 (Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act).

Aside from a case for violation of RA 10591, Ambros would also be charged for violation of Republic Act 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002).