RPA-ABB gunrunner falls in entrapment

ILOILO CITY, Philippines — An alleged member of the Revolutionary Proletarian Army - Alex Boncayao Brigade (RPA-ABB) was arrested for alleged gunrunning in an entrapment operation Wednesday afternoon at Barangay Danao in this city.

Senior Supt. Marietto Valerio, Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) director, identified the suspect as Antonio Taladhay, a resident of Brgy. Nanga in Guimbal, Iloilo.

Joint elements of the ICPO's Special Operations Group and Public Safety MASCU (Motorized Anti-Street Crime Unit) arrested Taladhay after a deal for a .45 caliber pistol. The suspect and a police poseur buyer agreed for a price of P16,000 for the item.

Police operatives immediately collared Taladhay after he received the sum consisting of P2,000 marked money and a bundle of boodle money.

Recovered from the suspect's possession were a .45 caliber pistol (with serial number 887993), two magazines with 11 live ammunitions, and a mobile phone.

The arrest was the third attempt by the ICPO against Taladhay. "The first one did not materialize. The second one, (Taladhay) backed out because he sensed that it could be a ploy," Valerio said.

The third one finally nailed Taladhay who is now detained at the lock-up cell of Police Station 1 pending the filing of charges against him.

Valerio said that, at first look, seized gun looked authentic. "But a careful scrutiny would reveal that it was locally-manufactured," he said.

The police official told The FREEMAN that the suspect was a member of the local monitoring team of the peace agreement between the government and the RPA-ABB. Still, "we recognize his being an RPA-ABB officer but he's not exempted from any criminal liability," he added.

Valerio said they have been receiving information about the presence of gunrunning activities in Iloilo.

"We were also surprised that when we conducted the operation, our subject turned out to be linked to the RPA-ABB group," he said adding that he would elevate the matter on Taladhay's arrest to the local Joint Enforcement Monitoring Team.

"If it's indeed true that he is a member of the local monitoring team or the local technical working group, it's for the concerned agency to impose disciplinary actions on him, if necessary," Valerio said.

Valerio said it was possible that Taladhay might have been sourcing out his guns from different sources then distribute it locally. "So, it's probable that he's been selling unlicensed guns to a number of criminal elements," he added. - THE FREEMAN