MANILA, Philippines -- The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) disclosed on Monday that the house in Bulacan, raided by its teams last week, was actually the safe house used by the Alvin Flores Gang after the group’s heist at the Greenbelt 5 watch store on Oct. 18.

Agents of the bureau have fanned out to search for Merlinda, the sister of the slain notorious gang leader Alvin Flores. Merlinda, according to the NBI, also goes by the alias Mailyn Villamor, and is believed to have rented the bungalow in Plaridel town, Bulacan from owner Arlene Miron.

At a press conference on Monday, NBI Director Nestor Mantaring said the firearms, the vests and other gear seized by joint teams of the agency and the Philippine National Police (PNP) from the house in Bulacan were the same equipment used by the Alvin Flores Gang in the Greenbelt 5 robbery.

Mantaring revealed that apart from Merlinda Flores, bureau agents have been searching for a certain “JR,” reportedly a member of the New People’s Army, and five other members of the group.

NBI Deputy Director for Intelligence Services (NBI-DDIS) and lawyer Ruel Lasala said that some 30 operatives swooped down on the safe house at Jupiter Street in Rocka Village, Barangay (Village) Tabang in Plaridel town on Friday last week.

At the time of the raid, which was undertaken by virtue of a search warrant issued by Malolos regional trial court Judge Basilio Gabo, Jr., nobody was inside the house.

The joint NBI and PNP teams proceeded to confiscate a caché of firearms, including: an M-16 automatic rifle with grenade launcher; an M-14 automatic rifle; several Calico sub-machine guns; 2 shotguns; as well as assorted ammunition.

Also seized were hammers, PNP uniforms, bomb squad uniforms, t-shirts from “Bitag” (trap) television show, bolt cutters, taxi meters, taxi signs, red and ordinary license plates, Kevlar helmets, two-way radios, as well as tactical shoes.

Lasala stressed that the bungalow was rented by Merlinda some three weeks before the raid. He explained that Merlinda usually took charge of the logistics, including the lease of safe houses, of the Alvin Flores Gang.

She has an outstanding arrest warrant for robbery, according to the NBI-DDIS chief.

“While the place was leased three weeks ago, neighbors saw two men, two women and a child frequenting the place for a week. There are reports that the group proceeded there after the Greenbelt 5 heist to hide,” Lasala said.

He revealed that they were able to retrieve the mobile phone of the slain Alvin Flores and have been using the device to track down the remnants of his group.