DOJ to reopen probe on gov’t firearms sold to Reds

DOJ Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II. INQUIRER.net / Jhoanna Ballaran

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II has reopened the investigation into the case of missing 1,004 firearms allegedly sold to the New People’s Army (NPA).

In an order issued Tuesday, Aguirre ordered the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to investigate and do a case-build up on the controversy already investigated by the Office of the Ombudsman.

Aguirre specifically directed the NBI to “conduct investigation and case buildup over missing PNP firearms which were sold to the (NPA) in Mindanao, and if evidence warrants, to file the appropriate cases against government personnel and private individuals found liable.”

The DOJ chief said he ordered the reinvestigation of the case upon the order of President Rodrigo Duterte.

Aguirre said the investigation is an offshoot of the earlier findings by the Ombudsman that indicted top police officials and private individuals in 2015.

READ: Ombudsman suspends PNP officials over missing firearms

He said the DOJ received information that more private individuals were involved in the anomaly but were not covered by the Ombudsman probe.

“With this, we are confident that those individuals who are responsible for this felonious act will be held accountable,” he explained in a statement.

The 1,004 firearms, mostly AK47 were allegedly sold to NPA as early as 2011. /jpv