Man seized with a bagful of guns

CEBU, Philippines – A man was arrested after he was found with nine unlicensed firearms in the Tabuelan Wharf in Tabuelan town, last Saturday night.

Rodolfo Montejo was collared by police a few minutes before he could board a ship on his way back to his hometown in Iloilo.

Sr. Insp. Florendo Fajardo, chief of the Tabuelan Police Station, said that an informant tipped them about the suspect carrying guns.

Fajardo said that the suspect was first spotted by the informant in Danao City carrying a traveling bag.

Three policemen then arrested the suspect inside the wharf at past 9 p.m. after discovering inside the bag three .38 cal. revolvers, two caliber .45 cal. pistols, two .357 revolvers, a shotgun and an Ingram machine pistol.

The suspect, who admitted owning the guns, presented to the police a license card for firearms when he was asked for his identity.

However, Fajardo said the license card did not correspond to any of the guns recovered, therefore the suspect did not have a permit to carry those firearms.

The suspect would not say where he got the guns.

The suspect was set to sail on ship leaving for Escalante City, Negros Occidental, at 10 p.m. From there he told police he would get on a bus that would take him to Iloilo City.

"Among pagtuo dugay na ni niyang ginabuhat ang pagpalit ug armas 'nya karon lang masakpi. Wala man sad gud X-ray machine sa Tabuelan Wharf," the police chief said.

The suspect is now detained and will face inquest proceedings before the provincial prosecutor's office today.

The confiscated firearms will be forwarded to the Firearms, Explosives, Security Agencies and Guards Supervision Section for checking, Fajardo said. (FREEMAN)