ZAMBOANGA CITY –– Two suspected members of a gun-for-hire group were nabbed Thursday night, July 4, at a police checkpoint in Nuñez Extension of Barangay Camino Nuevo here.
Police Captain Shellamae Chang, spokesperson of the Zamboanga City Police Office, identified the suspects as Fernando Ventura Lubiano, 45, married, of Barangay Lumbangan, and Edgardo Buloy Maravilla, 37, married, of Barangay Divisoria. Both are unemployed.
The two were aboard a motorcycle but one was not wearing a helmet.
They only noticed the checkpoint ran by the Zamboanga City Mobile Force Company when they were just several meters from it.
In an attempt to evade the checkpoint, the two made a sudden turn back, but the motorcycle skidded and they tumbled.
Police ‘spotters’ under the command of Police Lieutenant Roderick Tajala eventually caught up with them.
One police officer noticed that as the two fell down from the motorcycle, one of them threw something into the distant pavement, Chang said.
When the vicinity was searched, police found it was a caliber-.45 pistol, a Colt Combat Commander type with serial number 55667, with a silencer on, Chang added.
The pistol, Chang further said, had a magazine already inserted. The magazine was loaded with six bullets.
Also recovered was another magazine, also loaded with six bullets, tucked in the waist of one of the suspects, a jacket and a black bonnet.
This haul led police to suspect the two as hired guns, Chang said.
They are now facing charges of illegal possession of firearms and ammunition. (Editor: Leti Z. Boniol)