P’sinan mayor’s guns still with NBI for ballistic tests

DAGUPAN CITY, Philippines – The firearms seized during simultaneous raids on the house and hog and poultry farms of the mayor of Urbiztondo, Pangasinan recently remain under the custody of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) for further ballistic tests.

The guns seized from Urbiztondo Mayor Ernesto Balolong Jr. “are still with us up to now because ballistic examinations are ongoing,” lawyer Vicente de Guzman, NBI assistant regional director in the National Capital Region, told Bombo Radyo Dagupan yesterday.

Reports said tests have to be made to check if the seized firearms were used in previous crimes.  

Balolong was released Tuesday night from weeklong custody of the NBI. Charges of illegal possession of firearms and resisting arrest filed against him were dropped by the Department of Justice (DOJ), and he now faces four counts of tampering with firearm serial numbers with the Municipal Circuit Trial Court in Urbiztondo. 

The NBI raids yielded 21 firearms – all licensed – and hundreds of ammunition.

De Guzman said he would not give further comments while the investigation is still ongoing. 

He said it was their forensic expert’s finding that there was tampering or defacing of serial numbers of four firearms – three M-16 rifles and one M-14 rifle – so “it’s up to the mayor to explain why there is such.”

De Guzman said once their ballistician is finished with the tests, they would inform Balolong that he could get back his guns as long as the NBI approves this.

On the alleged illegal detention case that Balolong could possibly file against the NBI, De Guzman said they are ready to answer this. 

Balolong told journalists on Wednesday that he bought the four rifles as loose firearms but had them licensed under the government’s gun amnesty program.

He said his lawyers would answer the tampering charges, adding that he has documents to refute the allegations when he had the four rifles licensed. 

“No hurt feelings because the case was not actually dismissed. The DOJ only corrected the charges filed. That is the right charge according to the DOJ,” he said. 

Balolong was released after posting P60,000 bail for each of the four counts of tampering with firearm serial numbers.