Law enforcers among 1st gun ban violators

BAGUIO CITY , Philippines  – Two law enforcers were among the first violators of the nationwide gun ban here.

No other than Baguio Police Station 8 chief Senior Police Officer 1 Esteban Wacdangan is facing an alarm and scandal case after he, another police officer and his son went on target shooting.

PDEA-Cordillera Special Investigator II Berto Chumanao was also nabbed with his firearm on Jan. 14 while inside a nightclub here.

According to police investigators, Wacda-ngan, together with a companion believed to be a police officer and his son, went to a vacant lot near their residence at Purok 12, Irisan between 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. also on Jan. 14 for target shooting practice.

Using plywood as a target board, the police officer allegedly consumed three magazines alarming his neighbors Joni Ikug, Crestita Estrada, Wilfredo Rosario and Johny Guibong.

The four were allegedly 25 to 30 meters away from the police officer.

An administrative case is being leveled against Wacdangan while Baguio police director Senior Superintendent Agripino Javier vowed they are “really serious in the implementation of the total gun ban.”

He said they will not exempt any violator even if they are PNP personnel, adding that the BCPO will not hesitate to discipline police officers who disobey the law.

Javier, whose men had begun instituting checkpoints in the city especially during nighttime added that the police should set an example in obeying the law.

Baguio police’s station 7 (Central Business District) head Chief Inspector Paul Mencio, however, claimed that the PDEA investigator’s case will be studied because accordingly, the anti-narcotics agency has to show the police if Chumanao was on duty when he was nabbed with his firearm inside the night club.

Moreover, Senior Superintendent Charlo Collado was relieved as Abra police director by Cordillera police director Chief Superintendent Orlando Pestaño last week after a “shooting competition” was held inside the compound of Abra Rep. Cecilia Luna in Bangued on the first day of the nationwide gun ban.

The “competition” was reportedly organized by Lagayan town mayor Jentrix Luna and was attended even by Abra police officers.