Abra mayor arrested for guns; private army leader falls

BAGUIO CITY–A town mayor of Abra was arrested early Sunday after policemen found firearms in his vehicle in the capital town of Bangued.

Reports from the Cordillera police said the vehicle carrying Luba Mayor Marcelo Biscarra Sr. and three other persons was stopped at a checkpoint at 12:05 a.m. along the Abra-Kalinga Road.

As policemen were inspecting the mayor’s black Mitsubishi Pajero, they discovered an M16 rifle, a 9mm pistol and bullets in the vehicle.

Biscarra and his companions Federico Balboa, Mario Ambrosio and Joel Thomas were arrested for violating the election gun ban.

Biscarra, however, was later taken to a hospital when he complained of chest pains, police said.

In a separate police operation also on Sunday morning, police arrested a suspected leader of a private armed group, which is believed to be offering its services to Abra’s political families.

Tandingan Guayen, 41, is the subject of several warrants of arrest for murder and a robbery case, police said. Vincent Cabreza, Inquirer Northern Luzon