NBI nabs Bacolod cop for illegal guns, bullets, drugs

BACOLOD CITY—Firearms and ammunition, including explosives, were seized by agents of the National Bureau of Investigations (NBI) during a raid at the house of a policeman linked to two murder incidents in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental, an NBI-Bacolod inventory report disclosed Friday.

Armed with a search warrant issued by Executive Judge Reynaldo Alhambra of Branch 53 of the Regional Trial Court in Manila, NBI operatives, assisted by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and Regional Public Safety Battalion 18, swooped down at the house of SPO1 Joshua Barile at Regent Pearl Subdivision in barangay (village) Alijis, Bacolod City.

The raid yielded 31 assorted guns, including M16 and AK47 assault rifles, four hand grenades, magazines of assorted firearms, two vintage bombs, and more than 1,000 rounds of assorted ammunition, the NBI report said.

Barile, who is the Firearms and Explosive section head of the Regional Civil Security Unit 18, yesterday said the firearms taken during the raid have been placed under his custody for safekeeping, as approved by his superior, as their vault cannot accommodate more firearms, and its office no longer safe.

Some of the guns and ammunition also served as evidences in court, which also placed under his custody, he added.

But Barile claimed that the three corroded fragmentation grenades and a plastic sachet containing crystalline substance were believed to be “planted” by two individuals, who he identified as his former “assets,” while he was still with the Regional Intelligence Unit 6.

He said the two former police assets are now nowhere to be found.

Barile is facing murder charges for the deaths of the father and younger brother of Ricky Serenio, a self-proclaimed paymaster of Berya Drug Group, before the Negros Occidental Prosecutor’s Office.

Barile, however, vehemently denied that he was involved in the Serenio killings. /jpv