Isabela mayor's houses raided; 12 guns seized

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya , Philippines  — At least 12 firearms, including high-powered ones, were reportedly seized during a series of raids by police operatives on the residences of an Isabela town mayor early yesterday morning.

Senior Superintendent Jimmy Rivera, Isabela police director, said that the firearms confiscated from the houses of Gamu town Mayor Fernando Cumigad were four M16 Armalite rifles, a rifle grenade, an M2 carbine, two shotguns, and four pistols of various types. However, Cumigad, who is running for reelection, said that all the guns confiscated from his houses were all covered by licenses.

“My political rivals have been insisting that I have unlicensed guns. But all of my guns are licensed or covered by legal papers,” said Cumigad.

According to Rivera, the search operations on Cumigad’s nine houses were still ongoing and were each covered by search warrants issued by Executive Judge Raul Babaran of the Cauayan City (Isabela) regional trial court. “The raid was the subject of an approved Oplan Code name Summum Bonnum for private armed groups and possessing various types of high and low powered firearms,” Rivera said.

Rivera stressed that proper procedures have been observed during the raids jointly conducted by elements from the police regional mobile group and police provincial office as well as from the Gamu-based Army’s 5th Infantry Division.

“The mayor’s lawyers were allowed to talk with their client…Our own regional legal service lawyers are conferring with (them),“ Rivera said.

Meanwhile, Superintendent Roberto Bucad, Isabela police information officer, said that they were still conducting final inventory of the firearms discovered from the mayor’s house.

Cumigad is one of the few mayors supporting the reelection bid of Liberal Party Gov. Grace Padaca, whose vice gubernatorial running mate is outgoing Isabela second district Rep. Edwin Uy, his close political ally.

Padaca is up against three-term Rep. Faustino Dy III of the Lakas-Kampi-CMD while his vice gubernatorial running mate is fellow outgoing Rep. Rodito Albano of the province’s first district.