House of New Year gun users raided by cops

DAGUPAN CITY, Philippines—Police on Tuesday raided the house of two of eight men who fired guns on New Year’s Eve and bragged about it through their social media accounts in Narvacan town in Ilocos Sur province, authorities said on Tuesday.

Police, however, did not find any firearms, according to the province’s police director.

Senior Supt. Nestor Felix, Ilocos Sur police director, said policemen, armed with a search warrant, searched the house of Cezar Funtanilla and his son, Philip Andrew, in Barangay San Antonio before noon. The police ended the search at 2:25 p.m. after failing to find any gun.

The Funtanillas were present during the raid, said Chief Insp. Rex Buyucan, Narvacan police chief.

The Funtanillas, along with Mark R-Jay Cabana, Jumar Cabreros, Ian Christopher Calixterio, Russel Funtanilla, Geronimo Gomez and Mark Cachola, were shown in a video that became viral in the social networking site Facebook alternately firing an Armalite rifle and a .45 cal. pistol.

They were also seen in the video showing off the bullets that they had used for the guns they fired that night.

Police filed alarm and scandal cases against the eight suspects on Monday at the Municipal Circuit Trial Court in Narvacan.

But Buyucan said police could not yet arrest anyone unless the court issued arrest warrants.

He also clarified reports that the suspects were no longer in the village.

“Three of the suspects are not from the village. They were visiting relatives. But they are just here,” Buyucan said. Gabriel Cardinoza, Inquirer Northern Luzon, with a report from Leoncio Balbin Jr., Contributor