‘Surrender and clear your name’

National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief Director Ricardo de Leon appealed yesterday to a police major, whose Pasig City home yielded 83 assorted firearms in a recent raid, to surrender and clear his name.

De Leon, who examined the guns the other day, said the continued non-appearance of Chief Inspector Ruberto Regis Jr. won’t help him resolve the number of cases he faces.

"He should surface and present himself to proper authorities to clear his name," De Leon said in an interview. "

Elements of the Pasig City police had initially served an arrest warrant for bigamy against Regis at the Sta. Lucia Bliss Townhomes in Barangay St. Lucia last Jan. 30. They were accompanied by the police officer’s wife, Amelia.

The raiders were met by gunfire as they approached the house, but Regis was not home when they conducted a thorough search of the rooms. No trace of the shooter was found.

However, police recovered 83 assorted high-powered firearms. They also confiscated a police superintendent’s uniform with the nameplate "Regis."

De Leon said a verification with the Firearms and Explosives Division (FED) at Camp Crame revealed that 21 of the firearms were unlicensed.

The guns were registered to the financial center of a certain bank and a security agency.

The Metro police chief said the security agency had long ceased operations and its license revoked.

A check with the PNP’s Directorate for Personnel and Records Management (DPRM) showed that Regis is currently assigned at the Administration Holding Center at Camp Crame. He had not been reporting for work since the raid in Pasig City.

According to De Leon, Regis cannot go into hiding forever as he ordered his five police district directors to serve the arrest warrant against him once spotted in Metro Manila and nearby provinces.

He said charges of illegal possession of firearms have been filed against Regis before the Pasig City prosecutor’s office. He will also be charged for violating the rules and regulations on security agencies.