Police nab 3 alleged gun-runners

DIGOS CITY, Philippines— The Philippine National Police’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group claimed it has crippled the operations of a major gun-running syndicate operating in Davao del Sur with the arrest of three more of its members.

Senior Inspector Francis Sonza, CIDG provincial chief, said the three suspected members of the Maglinte gun-running syndicate were arrested in a buy-bust operation on Wednesday.

They were identified as Joy Federico, 46, the alleged team leader, Raul Alang, 51, and Jonathan Cayamba, 33, all of Sta. Cruz town.

Seized from them  were three homemade handguns, Sonza said.

Last April 19, another member of the gang was arrested by CIDG operatives also in Sta. Cruz.

Sonza said the proliferation of illegal firearms in the province could be the reason behind rising criminality, especially killings.

The latest shooting incident took place at the public market of this city on Wednesday when two persons, including a minor, when injured when they figured in an altercation with an unidentified armed man while buying a cell phone battery.

Senior Superintendent Ronaldo Llanera, provincial police director, said the gunman had fled when responding policemen arrived at the scene.

Llanera said illegal firearms were proliferating in the province, which was why the police have intensified the campaign against guns.

LLanera said last week, four suspected gun-runners from Maguindanao were arrested at a police checkpoint here and have been charged.