Gov’t Operatives Seize Arms Cache from Masbate Village Chieftain

LEGAZPI CITY, Feb. 16 -- Operatives of Task Force Masbate (TFM) on Sunday collared a village chief with a cache of high powered assault rifles at his residence in Placer town in Masbate, a police official said to PNA, Tuesday.

Operatives of TFM arrested Antonio Deocampo, village chief of Barangay Daraga, Placer, Masbate.

The arrest of the suspect brings to four elected local officials in Masbate nabbed for violating the Commission on Election (Comelec) gun ban at the onset of the May polls.

Data from Police Camp Simeon Ola indicated that as off today, 61 people in Bicol were arrested for violating the total gun ban order of which 29 violators are from Masbate, Camarines Sur and Sorsogon with nine each, Albay - seven, Camarines Norte five, and Naga City two.

Various checkpoints and raids confiscated 63 firearms of which 28 are handguns while 18 are high powered firearms, the report said.

Police Supt. Eliciar Bron, Philippine National Police (PNP) Bicol spokesperson, said TFM operatives led by Police Senior Inspector Elmer Decena armed with a search warrant swooped down the suspects home at about 9:15 p.m. Sunday after receiving reports that the village chief had a cache of firearms and ammunition kept in his house.

The raiding team recovered an M16, M14 rifles, a K69 Intratec Miami F1 cal. 9mm machine pistol, 79 rounds of 5.56mm, 10 rounds of 7.62mm and seven rounds of 9mm pistol, and 24 pieces empty shells of .45 caliber handgun.

The suspect did not resist arrest and is in the custody of the TFM for investigation and filing of appropriate criminal charges against him.

Authorities tagged the island province as a "political hot spot" because of the abundance of loose firearms, intense political rivalries, the presence of political armed groups and communist insurgents.

Defense Secretary Norberto Gonzales in his visit on Friday has verified reports whether the province should be placed under either state of emergency or Comelec control because of the brewing political rivalries among clans here.

Intelligence reports claim that there are 2,500 PAGs members from 10 groups of which four were validated to have been hired by warring political clans in Masbate.

PAGs identified belong to one Valenzuela group with alleged 100 men from Bulacan and a Visaya group, these groups were employed allegedly by ranking politicians seeking re-election.

Military and police intelligence report estimates that the PAGs are armed with high powered assault firearms and are now deployed in the 21 towns across the province.

Gonzales met with the Joint Security Coordinating Council (JSCC) and Task Force Masbate to assess the volatile political situation taking place there. (PNA)