Ombudsman suspends PNP officials over missing firearms
MANILA, Philippines–Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales on Thursday ordered the preventive suspension for six months of ranking officials of the Philippine National Police over the 1,004 missing high-powered AK47 firearms allegedly sold to the New People’s Army (NPA).
Ordered suspended were Chief Superintendents Raul Petrasanta, Regino Catiis, Senior Superintendents Eduardo Acierto and Allan Parreno, Superintendent Nelson Bautista, Chief Insp. Ricky Sumalde, P/CInsp. Ricardo Zapata Jr., P/Chief Inspector Rodrigo Benedicto Sarmiento, Senior Police Officer 1 Eric Tan, SPO1 Randy De Sesto.
Petrasanta, Acierto, Parreno, Bautista and Zapata, along with PNP chief Director General Alan Purisima, were also preventively suspended for their alleged involvement in the questionable WERFAST contract.
PNP Firearms and Explosives Office (PNP-FEO) officials Director Gil Meneses, Dir. Napoleon Estilles, Chief Superintendent Tomas Rentoy II were excluded from the suspension order because they have already retired from service.
The suspension was for the administrative aspect of the case, said Ombudsman Spokesman Asryman Rafanan at a press conference Thursday.
The Office of the Deputy Ombudsman for the Military and Other Law Enforcement Offices (OMB-MOLEO) initiated the investigation.
Records showed that based on the report by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), four private security agencies and a mining company successfully applied and were issued firearms licenses by the PNP-FEO using falsified and incomplete documentary requirements.
Based on the PNP-FEO database, 1,004 licensed firearms were released through the submission of incomplete and/or falsified applications submitted by Isidro Lozada, owner of Caraga Security Agency, who purchased the firearms from Twin Pines, Inc. which, in turn, facilitated and submitted the falsified and/or incomplete license applications of Lozada to the PNP-FEO. Despite irregularities in the applications, licenses were processed and approved by PNP-FEO officials and personnel.
Further investigation showed that Caraga Security Agency’s License to Operate had expired on Sept. 30, 2012.
The CIDG was also able to validate information that firearms matching the serial numbers of the licensed AK47s issued to the security agencies and mining company were recovered from encounters between the military and NPA rebels in the Caraga and Western Mindanao regions.
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