Road accident leads cops’ discovery of guns, ammo inside abandoned car

CEBU, Philippines - A simple traffic accident in Sibulan town (Negros Oriental) the other night, involving a Kia Carnival sedan (plate no. LGA 454), resulted in the discovery by the police a number of unlicensed guns and ammunition, after its driver and two passengers abandoned the vehicle.

According to a bystander at the scene, the car was running at “moderate speed” but, upon reaching the curve near the Sibulan park, it rammed into the pavement, causing damage to it.

The Sibulan policemen, whose station was only near the scene, responded shortly after the incident, but while they were processing it for blotter purposes, the three men came out of the vehicle and left the scene by taking a motorcycle-for-hire, or habal-habal.

While some policemen gave a hot pursuit to the fleeing men, other policemen conducted a search inside the car and found various personal items (men’s, women’s and children’s wear) and an ID card of a certain Ryan Lumangcolob.

The policemen also recovered two .45-caliber pistols with four magazines and 23 live ammunition, and a silencer for a Colt automatic .45-caliber pistol, battery packs, power banks, pillows, bags and wigs.

The search was done in the presence of Councilman Pedro Divinagracia Jr. of Barangay Poblacion, and two media representatives.

The Sibulan Police, in the hot pursuit operation, was joined by the Highway Patrol Group and the SWAT from the provincial police, which was immediately dispatched by Senior Superintendent Dionardo Carlos, provincial police director, after the discovery of the guns.

The habal-habal driver, Charlie Cabalpit, later told the police he was asked by the car driver to take them to a terminal for them to take a ride back to Cebu or Mindanao. He in turn advised them to take the Ceres bus in the city and, for P100, he brought the three to a university where they could flag down a bus.

The police team caught up with the three men, who were already settled at the rear part of the Ceres bus, which was about to leave the terminal bound for Cebu.

PHG team leader, Inspector Robelito Mariano, after verification of documents, said the car in the accident was not in the list of carnapped vehicles, however the driver’s license of one of them, Arham Diamadin Alimoden, a resident of Basak in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu, had discrepancy in its photo compared with the LTO record.

Appropriate charges are now being readied by the Sibulan Police against the three who denied the accusations by insisting that the firearms were not recovered from their actual possession.

Alimoden said he was only a tricycle driver in Lapu-Lapu City and that they were only trying to go home to Lanao del Sur via Dumaguete.

Lamoco had suspicions that the arrested three men might have certain “missions” in Dumaguete, where they also have contacts, but it could not be ascertained yet if they are hired guns, considering the wigs and the gun silencer found in the car. (FREEMAN)