MANILA, Philippines ? A town mayor, his driver and two security escorts were arrested and detained at the Quezon City Police District Friday after their vehicle was found loaded with high-powered firearms and handguns.

Chief Supt. Magtanggol Gatdula identified those taken into police custody as Mayor Victorio Briones, 49, of Dilasag town in Aurora province, Reinaldo Dacuscus, Bayani Llana and PO1 Allan Llobia.

?We have to take them into custody because they were not able to present documents on all the firearms,? Gatdula said.

Found inside the mayor?s Land Cruiser with plate number SHT 831 were two M-16 armalite rifles, a 9-mm pistol and a .45 caliber pistol.

Chief Insp. Enrico Figueroa, head of the QCPD theft and robbery section, said a concerned citizen had alerted them about the firearms inside the vehicle that was then parked in front of a restaurant along Banawe Street.

?When we checked the vehicle, the butts of the M-16 rifles were clearly visible to people on the street, ? he said.

Figueroa said the mayor and his escorts did not resist arrest when confronted by the police.

He said only one of the armalites and the 9-mm handgun were covered by memorandum receipts.

Briones did not deny owning the .45 caliber pistol, but said he was not aware his aides brought it. ?I was not aware that it was in the car because I know we still have to submit all the documents for its license.?

He added the firearms were meant for protection as he had been receiving death threats.

The mayor explained he just came from the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office on E. Rodriguez Avenue to follow up their request for an ambulance and decided to take lunch in the restaurant before going back to Aurora.

He added he had asked permission to travel from Aurora Gov. Bellaflor Angara-Castillo.