CEBU CITY–Police have held for questioning six “suspicious-looking” men on board a van in Barangay Tan-awan, Oslob town, 121 kilometers south of Cebu City.
Five of them are Muslims from Lanao del Norte while one is a Christian from Iloilo, said SPO1 Arturo Balmores, deputy chief of the Oslob Police Station. Balmores said they received a phone call from the police in Balamban town, informing them about the presence of suspicious-looking men on board a van which was on its way to Oslob.
“We conducted a checkpoint and flagged down the vehicle described to us by the Balamban police,” he said in a phone interview.
Except for the driver of the L300 van who presented a driver’s license, the rest had no identification cards or documents.
“We will hold these men for now while an inquiry will be conducted,” Balmores said.
Found inside the van were several toy guns and clothes placed inside at least six sacks.
Based on their initial interview, Balmores said the six men claimed to be traders who sold toy guns clothes in places where there are fiestas.
“They said they came from Bantayan Island (during the Holy Week). They dropped two of their companions in Balamban, and were on their way to Negros Oriental for another fiesta, passing through Oslob,” he said.
It was still unclear whether or not the two other companions of the group were arrested by the Balamban police. “We have not heard a word yet from Balamban,” Balmores said.
Cebu Daily News tried to contact the Balamban police but no one answered the calls. Their chief of police did not also answer the calls.