Lanao mayor’s house yields high-powered firearms

MANILA, Philippines - Government agents invited for questioning the mayor of Pantao Ragat town in Lanao del Norte after yesterday’s raid in her house yielded high-powered firearms.

Chief Superintendent Federico Castro, officer-in-charge of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), said Mayor Eleanor Dimaporo Lantud had a lot of explaining to do on the presence of high-powered guns in her residence.

Armed with a search warrant issued by Judge Marino de la Cruz of the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 22, a joint police-military team swooped down on the house of Lantud in Pantao Ragat early yesterday.

Actually, the target of the raid was Lantud’s husband, Vice Mayor Lacson Mangotara Lantud, but he was not around.

Castro said the raid yielded an M60 machinegun, a Browning rifle, six M203 grenade launchers, two M-14 Armalite rifles, 14 Garand rifles, six assorted handguns, and assorted ammunition.

Castro said Mayor Lantud would be asked to present supporting documents for the seized firearms and ammunition.

The raid was part of the CIDG’s drive to account for loose firearms and dismantle private armies in the run-up to the May elections.

Lanao de Norte is listed as one of the 15 hotpots in the May polls all over the country. – Non Alquitran, Jigger Jerusalem