PNP probes gunrunners’ links to AFP, politicos

Following the arrest of a couple for gunrunning during an entrapment operation on Sunday, the Philippine National Police has started looking into the suspects’ possible links to the military and certain politicians.

In a press briefing on Monday, PNP Director General Oscar Albayalde announced the arrest of Edgardo and Rosemarie Medel, residents of Gapan, Nueva Ecija, on Sunday evening.

Seized from them were P1.2 million worth of illegal firearms and ammunition during a buy-bust operation conducted by the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) at a service station on the North Luzon Expressway.

The confiscated arms cache consisted of two assault rifles, a handgun and 12,893 rounds of live ammunition for M-60 light machine guns and M-16 assault rifles. All were unregistered, Albayalde said.

Earlier, the NCRPO received a tip that the Medel couple had been transacting with threat groups in Mindanao such as the Abu Sayyaf and Maute group, as well as private armed groups.

The police were also verifying who the politicians behind the private armed groups were.

“Part of the continuing investigation will be to determine the source of these weapons and ammunition, and to possibly identify other persons involved, in coordination with the Armed Forces of the Philippines,” Albayalde said.

The military’s involvement in the probe is crucial, as the arms cache, when confiscated, were inside crates identifying them as the property of the Philippine Army, complete with serial numbers.

Some of the ammunition also had serial numbers which Albayalde said had been traced to an Army unit.