Armed Bantay Dagat member nabbed

POLICE arrested a 59-year-old Bantay Dagat member after he was caught brandishing a firearm outside his house in barangay Balud, Dalaguete town, southern Cebu.

Seized from Felipe Piñon was a .22 magnum revolver with five bullets. He was detained at the Dalaguete police precinct pending the filing of charges against him.

Police went to the barangay to serve a warrant of arrest against Piñon’s neighbor Glenn Velasquez.

Piñon accused Velasquez of throwing stones at his house several months ago. Velasquez was charged with malicious mischief.

Velasquez detected the presence of the policemen and fled. Police instead spotted Piñon brandishing a gun outside his house.

“It was possible that he brandished his gun to threaten Velasquez,” said SPO1 Veronico Centino of the Dalaguete police said in Cebuano.

Police said Piñon had been a member of the town’s Bantay Dagat team for more than 20 years./REPORTER RHEA RUTH V. ROSELL