BACOLOD CITY, Philippines – A Negrense businessman linked to an alleged assassination plot against President Duterte surrendered on Tuesday to the police in connection with a case of illegal possession of firearms.
Bryan Ta-ala, a veterinarian, is now detained at the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology jail in Barangay Handumanan, Bacolod City after Regional Trial Court Judge Eduardo Sayson issued a commitment order.
Chief Insp. Jovil Sedel, Bacolod Police Station 6 commander, said the judge, who had issued the arrest warrant against Ta-ala for violation of Section 33 or the Arms Smuggling Act under RA 10591, also rejected his petition for bail.
Sedel said Ta-ala brought a copy of his arrest warrant for gun charges and presented it to the Police Station 6 when he surrendered.
The suspect was accompanied by his counsel Leon Moya, who earlier dismissed accusations against his client linking him to an alleged assassination plot against Duterte.
Agents of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) from Camp Crame coordinated with the Police Regional Office 18 in Negros island and arrested Ta-ala and his employee Wilford Palma on Aug. 6 for alleged involvement in the shipment, trading and selling of smuggled gun parts at Villa Cristina Subdivision in Barangay Tangub, Bacolod City.
The policemen seized gun parts, estimated to be worth P4.5 million, which were allegedly smuggled from the United States in a balikbayan box.
Officials of the US Homeland Security reportedly tipped off the Bureau of Customs and the CIDG about the gun smuggling.
Palma claimed that he overheard Ta-ala and a client talk about assembling firearms to be used to assassinate the President.
Moya, however, dismissed the allegations against his client as a big lie.
He said Ta-ala is an avid fan of Duterte and even used his own money to campaign for him in Negros Occidental during the May elections.
On Sept. 8, Ta-ala posted P200,000 bail for two counts of illegal possession of firearms after more than a month of being confined in a private hospital.
The Department of Justice filed charges against Ta-ala for illegal possession of firearms and smuggling.