PNP, Marines arrest Sultan Kudarat village chair for illegal gun possession

From the Philippine News Agency (Oct 12): PNP, Marines arrest Sultan Kudarat village chair for illegal gun possession

Police and Philippine Marines operatives arrested Tuesday a village chairperson in Lebak, Sultan Kudarat for illegal possession of firearms, police said.

Supt. Romeo Galgo Jr, speaking for Police Regional Office No. 12, identified the village official as Norodin Ulangkaya, barangay chairperson of Barangay Kinudalan, Lebak, Sultan Kudarat.

Ulangkaya was the third village official arrested in Region 12 for illegal possession of firearms.

According to Galgo, the raiding team composed of Lebak PNP and operatives from the Sultan Kudarat police provincial office and Marine Battalion Landing Team (MBLT-7) were armed with search warrants against Ulangkaya.

Seized from him were 12 gauge shotguns and cal. 45 pistol. Ulangkaya did not resist arrest.

On Monday, police and anti-narcotics agents arrested a South Cotabato provincial board member and a village chairperson in Polomolok town for possession of unlicensed guns and grenades.
 
"Their arrest only shows that the implementation of the law is not selective,” Galgo said.

“Whoever you are, whatever status that you have in the society, once you violate the law, you are answerable for it,” he added.

Galgo identified the local officials as Juner Coronado Magbanua, chairperson of Barangay Koronadal Proper and Vicente Yungco Jr, chairperson of Barangay Poblacion, both in Polomolok, South Cotabato.
 
Yungco is the president of Liga ng mga Barangay in South Cotabato and earned him a seat in the Sangguniang Panglalawigan as an ex-officio member.

Gaglo said the raiding team, armed with search warrants, arrested the two in separate but simultaneous operations in partnership with the agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA). No prohibited drugs were found, though.

Galgo said seized from Coronado were a fragmentation grenade and three rounds of ammunition while Yungco’s home yielded a caliber 9mm browning pistol, a 12 gauge shot gun and ammunition for both rifles.

Also recovered was an air gun Squires Bingham and a Carbon Dioxide Tank.
 
The two are now facing charges for violation of Comprehensive Law of Firearms and Ammunition (RA 9516) or Illegal/unlawful Possession, Manufacture, Dealing in, Acquisition or Disposition of firearms, Ammunition or Explosives or Instruments used in the manufacture of firearms, ammunition or explosives.

But Yungco vehemently denied the allegations and blamed his political rivals who sent SMS to Hotline 8888 that he owned a gun.

“I was told that the police were informed that I was an illegal drug protector,” Yungco said.
He said the 12 gauge shot gun and 9 mm pistol were issued by South Cotabato provincial government to village officials.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=930582