Guns found in Talisay woodshop

CEBU, Philippines – A search for guns at a house in sitio Laray, Barangay San Roque, Talisay City, yesterday morning led to a shootout between the police and a suspect who was later wounded.

Rey Cabonillas Gakanay, 38, of San Fernando town, sustained a single gunshot wound to the left foot.

Inspector Hugo Rio Ipong said they went to Laray to serve the search warrant for a certain Jovie Bacalso, a resident of the said place. The warrant was issued by Regional Trial Court branch 10 Judge Soliver Peras.

Bacalso owns a woodcraft business and within her compound was her house and those of her stay-in workers. 

Ipong said they were climbing to the second floor of the shop where the workers were staying, when someone yelled "kawatan!" and a shot was fired.

Ipong took cover and policeman PO3 Arnold Damasco returned fire and hit a man who was reportedly aiming his .38 cal. revolver at them. The man was later identified as Gakanay.

Police recovered inside the shop were a sub-machinegun with a magazine containing four live rounds, a .22 cal. pistol with five live rounds, and a .45 cal. pistol with two magazines, one with five and the other with six live rounds. All guns were unlicensed.

The team also recovered two wigs, a camouflage jacket and a long knife disguised as a nightstick.

Gakanay was rushed to the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center for treatment.

Talisay police chief Supt. Henry Biñas said Bacalso, once suspected of operating video karera machines, was placed under surveillance for two weeks after it was reported she also had illegal guns.

Bacalso admitted that she knew about the .22 cal. pistol as it was owned by her husband, but she reportedly forgot about it after he died. She claimed she knew nothing about the other weapons recovered.

The police chief said they are now investigating Bacalso, her worker Gakanay and another worker named Dolsino Villasan Aton, who also goes under the alias "Ceno". Both workers are from San Fernando.

Bacalso said Gakanay has been in her shop for a year already, but she knows very little of his background.

Police are set to charge Bacalso for illegal possession of firearms and violation of the Commission on Elections gun ban. Gakanay and Aton will be slapped with the same case on top of direct assault and attempted homicide charges.

Their arrest came just barely a week after the killing of Taiheiyo Cement Corp. engineer Ernesto Porras in barangay Bulacao, but police would not say as of yesterday if they suspect those arrested were involved. (FREEMAN)