Ilocos Norte town execs charged for illegal gun possession

LAOAG CITY – The mayor, vice mayor and former mayor of Pasuquin town in Ilocos Norte province are facing illegal gun possession charges following raids of their houses on Saturday morning (May 12).

The police, armed with search warrants, found weapons at the houses of Mayor Ferdinand Aguinaldo and his brother, former mayor Peter Felix Aguinaldo, as well as the house of their cousin, Vice Mayor Pedro Rex Aguinaldo.

Sought for comment, Mayor Aguinaldo said the weapons were gifts but did not give details.

The police acted on reports that the officials were storing weapons, said Senior Supt. Cesar Pasiwen, Ilocos Norte police director in a radio interview here.

At posting time, the police have not yet completed an inventory of the firearms and ammunition seized from the Aguinaldos.

On the same day, the police also recovered weapons from separate raids of the houses of Marcos Agudelo, village chief of Ngabangab, and of Loreto Menor and Reynante Faylano in Nagsanga village. LEILANIE ADRIANO