Ex-Basilan vice mayor, 4 others face gun raps

MANILA, Philippines - A former vice mayor of Tipo-Tipo, Basilan, two policemen and two civilians were charged with illegal possession of firearms after they were intercepted at a checkpoint in Tacloban City last Monday.

Police identified the suspects as former vice mayor Doro Atahal, 46; SPO1 Darusalam Saguindilan, 39, and PO3 Zaldy Subjail, 47, both from Zamboanga City; and Muamar Lajid, 39, and Jerhan Pising, 19, both from Tipo-Tipo town.

Police said the suspects’ Nissan Frontier Navarra yielded a cache of firearms when it was flagged down at a checkpoint in Barangay Cabalawan.

Among those seized were a caliber .45 pistol Pietro Berreta, two magazines for caliber .45 loaded with nine bullets, a caliber .45 pistol ARMSCOR M1911 with two short and two long magazines and 28 bullets, a housing assembly for an M60 light machine gun, a long magazine for M-16 rifle with 1,117 bullets, and eight boxes of different sizes containing assorted police and military uniforms and several documents.

In a follow-up operation, police seized more firearms in an unlicensed government ambulance used by Atahal’s other companions who managed to flee, at the port in Liloan town.

Chief Superintendent Mario San Diego, Eastern Visayas police director, said Atahal’s group was headed to Mindanao when they were intercepted. – Cecille Suerte Felipe, Andrea Valino, Crestelle Pedrosa