Mayor, bodyguards held in Bangued over gun ban

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet  – An armed mayor and two of his bodyguards were held along a checkpoint in Bangued, Abra's capital town.

Baay-Licuan town mayor Alejo Siddayao Domingo, 63, and his bodyguards Noel Culangen Bay-ed, 32, from Kilong-ulao, boliney and Eddie Boy Balweg Paredes, 30, from Nalbuan, also in Baay-Licuan were flagged down along a checkpoint in Zone 7, Bangued, and policemen found them keeping high-powered firearms despite the nationwide gun ban.

Abra police director Sr. Supt. Benjamin Lusad said policemen from Abra Police Provincial Public Safety Company (PPSC) who were conducting a checkpoint seized a caliber 45 Federal pistol with serial number 507099 with a magazine loaded with six bullets from Paredes, and a Norinco caliber .45 pistol with serial number 901021 with a magazine loaded with four bullets from Bay-ed.

Lusad said Mayor Domingo admitted he owned the firearms but was not able to present appropriate documentation showing his exemption from the gun ban.

Charges were filed against the mayor and his bodyguards, police said.

In Benguet, the background of three males are being checked after they were arrested for wielding a gun and bullets at a checkpoint in Beckel, La Trinidad town Sunday morning.

Benguet police director Sr. Superintendent Rodolfo Azurin Jr., named those being investigated as Sunny Daguio, 22, vegetable disposer, a native of Dupao, Pinukpuk, Kalinga and alleged leader of the group and his two cohorts Jomar Mayangao Pagang, 30, native of Bauko, Mt. Province and Rey Cajigan Pinasig, 20, native of Lepanto, Mankayan, Benguet.

Azurin said a tipster told policemen to flag down a Kia Vesta van with the suspects on it.  The tip was proven right when policemen found a cal. 38 paltic revolver with no serial number loaded with five rounds  of bullets,  12 pieces of assorted bullets and one compressor; one crocodile jack; one steel cutter; one driller; a grinder, one box blow torch; three tanks of Solane LPG; one saver gas tank; two knives; a paint slayer compressor; one black printer; one Nokia X3 cellular phone; one Alcatel cellular phone; one Samsung GT cellular phone; and assorted jewelry with a still undetermined value placed in a box.

Azurin said the van was impounded until the trio, who were also temporarily detained, could show them they own it.