P’sinan mayor’s house yields guns, ammunition

URBIZTONDO, Pangasinan, Philippines – Joint elements of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in Manila and Dagupan City, along with Army soldiers, swooped down on the house, piggery and poultry farms of this town’s mayor yesterday morning and seized several firearms and ammunition.

NBI Pangasinan director Pedro Roque Jr. told The STAR that Mayor Ernesto Balolong Jr. was brought to the NBI central office in Manila for further questioning on the 20 firearms, 12 of them high-powered, and hundreds of ammunition confiscated from his residence and farms in Barangays Poblacion and Bayaoas here.

The simultaneous raids were conducted based on four search warrants issued by Judge Bernelito Fernandez of the National Capital Judicial Region, Quezon City Regional Trial Court.

Roque said the raids were an offshoot of the NBI investigation into unsolved killings in this town.

At least five unsolved killings allegedly involved a confessed henchman of Balolong, a certain Otto Guialaludin, alias Boy Muslim, who hails from Cotabato City, who was arrested earlier this month for the gun-slaying of former Lingayen vice mayor Ramon Arcinue and his wife, Zorahayda.

Roque said Guialaludin made many revelations about unsolved killings that he pulled off as triggerman, and that some of the firearms seized from the mayor’s house and farms were allegedly used in these slays.

Roque said the townsfolk fear for their lives, so the NBI had to intervene. “It is our sworn duty to protect the citizenry,” he said.

He said there was a commotion during the search and the arrest of Balolong but he said the raiding team convinced the mayor to go with them peacefully.

Roque said there were M-14, M-16 and 5.56 rifles confiscated during the raids and the firearms were still being inventoried as of press time, while the mayor was placed under arrest.

“We brought him to Manila for further investigation,” he said.

Appropriate charges would be filed against Balolong, he added.

Roque said they would also conduct ballistic examinations on the seized firearms to determine if any of these, whether licensed or not, were used in at least five unsolved killings so far recorded by the NBI based on Guialaludin’s testimony.

This is the second time that Balolong’s house was raided; the first was conducted by the provincial police in July 2012 although no case was filed against him as his firearms were reportedly licensed.

The STAR tried to reach Balolong by phone but failed.– With Aie Balagtas See