Cops arrest guns-for-hire they could be the "link" to solve the killing of businessman Tony Ouano

CEBU, Philippines - Two men, who police say are guns-for hire, were arrested in separate incidents in Bogo and Mandaue Cities.

Mandaue City Police Office (MCPO) Deputy Director for Operations Supt. James Goforth yesterday said the arrest in Bogo City of 29-year-old Arman Tipontipon of barangay Umapad, Mandaue City and 29-year-old Michael Ansero in Subangdaku, Mandaue City could shed light on the shooting to death of businessman Antonio Ouano two weeks ago.

Police say these guns-for-hire are an organized group and they hope to get leads from the arrest of the two, such as matching the guns seized from them with the one used in the shooting.

Different police units in Central Visayas are now conducting a massive manhunt operation against “gun for hire” criminals.

Tipontipon, also an alleged big time pusher in northern Cebu, was nabbed by operatives of the Provincial Intelligence Branch (PIB) during a buy-bust operation in barangay Dakit, Bogo City Monday afternoon.

Operatives seized several packs of illegal drugs, drug paraphernalia and a firearm from Arman Tipontipon, 29, of barangay Umapad, Mandaue City.

Taken to the Philippine National Police Crime Laboratory for chemical analysis were eight medium packs and one big pack of shabu amounting to P40,000.

The Springfield Armory caliber .45 pistol with one magazine loaded with seven bullets, a spare magazine loaded with six bullets, and a silencer were subjected for ballistic examination.

Also recovered from Tipontipon were a cellular phone, a digital weighing scale, an improvised tooter, improvised plastic straw filler, disposable lighter, eight pieces of marked P500-bills and a green Suzuki multicab bearing plate number JDJ-275.

Superintendent Rodolfo Albotra, chief of the PIB, suspected that Tipontipon just came from disposing shabu to other provinces when they conducted the operation.

Tipontipon was still on his vehicle when the police poseur-buyer arrested him right after the transaction. Albotra disclosed that Tipontipon could dispose 50 to 100 grams of shabu amounting to P200,000 per week. He has been also a source of shabu in the towns of San Remigio and Daanbantayan.

The Provincial Anti-Illegal Drug Special Operation Task Group once served a search warrant for RA 9165 against Tipontipon but he eluded arrest. He is now temporarily detained at the Consolacion police stockade while a case for Section 5 of RA 9165 will be filed against him.

Yesterday dawn, operatives of the Subangdaku Police arrested Michael Ansero after he was positively identified by a robbery victim as one of the three men on board an XRM motorcycle who robbed her and his companion along A.S. Fortuna St.

 Cheryl Saberano, 22, said she was on a motorcycle driven by Ramonito Bansalan when the suspects blocked their path and took her wallet containing P400.

 The incident was immediately reported to their police station and a hot pursuit was immediately conducted, leading to the arrest of Ansero while his companions were able to elude arrest.

 A .45 caliber pistol with six live ammunitions was seized from Ansero.

 Subangdaku Police chief Frank Oriol said Ansero is the younger brother of 2006-Land Bank robbery suspect Dindo Ansero, who remains at large. (FREEMAN)