Slay suspect, 2 others nabbed for gun possession

MANILA, Philippines - A murder suspect and two others were arrested in an intensified campaign against loose firearms by elements of the Police Regional Office 1 in the Ilocos region on Friday.

Those arrested were identified as Armando Flores, 40, and Jaylord Tiri and his brother, Arnold.

Flores, 40, an alleged member of the Pine-Bonete robbery gang, did not resist arrest when cornered in San Aurelio 1st in Balungao town in Pangasinan at about 11 a.m.

Chief Superintendent Constante Azares Jr., PRO1 director, said Flores yielded a .45 caliber automatic pistol.

Azares said they are now checking reports that Flores also served as a private army of a politician in Pangasinan.

“He is listed in our order of battle for being a member of the Pine-Bonete criminal gang engaged in gun for hire, robbery-holdup, carnapping and gunrunning,” said Azares noting that the suspect’s group operates in eastern Pangasinan and nearby municipalities of Tarlac and Nueva Ecija.

Flores was about to sell a Remington .45 caliber pistol to a poseur-buyer when elements of the intelligence division of the PRO1, intelligence branch of the Pangasinan police, and Balungao police station pounced on him.

Senior Superintendent Roman Pese, chief directorial staff of the PRO1 police said the raiders recovered the said firearm with six live bullets.

In his report to Azares, Pese said Flores is the prime suspect in the killing of Dario Tabugan, on May 7, 2008 in Carmen West, Rosales, Pangasinan.

Tabugan is the president of the Association of Barangay Chairmen in San Manuel, Tarlac and a resident of Barangay Salcedo, in the said town.

Three hours later, the Tiri brothers were intercepted in a checkpoint along the national highway of Barangay Bulag in Bantay town in Ilocos Sur.

Elements of the Ilocos Sur Provincial Public Safety Management Co. recovered two pieces of .38 caliber revolvers from the Tiri brothers.

“We will be intensifying our checkpoint operations to strictly implement the gun ban as the election period starts on Jan. 10,” said Azares, adding that they are targeting suspected private armies operating in their area of responsibility.

Azares ordered the confiscation of the motorcycle used by the Tiri brothers and the filing of appropriate charges against them.