Police tell Garcia son to yield gun

Suspended  Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia. FILE PHOTO

CEBU CITY—Police are calling on the son of suspended Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia and his two friends to surrender their firearms following the cancelation of their licenses to possess or carry the weapons.

The Firearms and Explosives Office (FEO) revoked the licenses of eight firearms registered under Pablo “Paulo” Garcia III, three under Jose Marie Primitivo Abellana Cal and four under Tonyson Luther Sun Lee.

Chief Supt. Marcelo Garbo, director of the Central Visayas regional police office, said Garcia’s son and his two friends should immediately surrender their firearms or face charges of illegal possession of guns.

He also didn’t discount the possibility of police raiding the homes of Garcia, Cal and Lee should they refuse to surrender their firearms.

The Inquirer tried to reach Paulo through his mobile phone but he was not answering calls.

His sister, lawyer Christina Garcia-Frasco, said her brother has not received any letter or notice informing him that his firearms license had been revoked.

Garbo recommended the revocation of the firearm’s licenses of Garcia, Lee and Cal following the altercation that broke out in the evening of Dec. 19, 2012, when the police removed the tents where Gwendolyn’s supporters were gathered to express their support for the suspended governor.

The assembly came after the Office of the President issued a six-month suspension on Garcia for grave abuse of authority.

At that time, Gwendolyn was holed up in her office to defy the suspension order. Her family members, including Paulo, and some close friends were with her in the office.

A commotion occurred when Paulo and his two friends tried to stop the policemen from removing the tents.

Footage from a TV station showed Insp. Alvin Enguito, police ground commander at that time, being hit by Lee in the back while Paulo and Cal were holding the policeman.

The footage was submitted by the police to support the filing of charges of direct assault against Paulo and his two friends at the city prosecutor’s office.

Paulo also filed robbery charges against Interior Secretary Mar Roxas and several police officers for the alleged theft of the tents.

But the assault on the police officer was also used by Garbo as basis in seeking the revocation of the firearms’ licenses of Paulo and his two friends. Paulo runs a family-owned security agency.

In a memorandum dated March 15, Chief Supt. Raul Petrasanta, FEO chief, said the Firearms Licensing and Restoration Board approved the recommendation of Garbo to revoke the firearms licenses of Paulo, Lee and Cal for assaulting a police officer “who was merely following lawful order.”

The memorandum said the request to revoke the gun license of Garcia and two others was lawful. With a report from Carmel Loise Matus, Inquirer Visayas