Village chief caught with unlicensed gun in a Zamboanga checkpoint

ZAMBOANGA CITY – The village chief of Kima in Payao town, Zamboanga Sibugay landed in jail at dawn on Thursday, May 9, after he was caught in a checkpoint carrying a loaded gun.

Kima Barangay Captain Reynaldo Panares Dinoy, 43, was caught with a gun inside his car when he was stopped at a checkpoint along the national highway of Purok 1 in Barangay Kimos, Siay town, also in Zamboanga Sibugay, at 12:10 a.m.

Dinoy was driving a Mazda Bonggo when policemen subjected him to a random checkpoint for the election gun ban, according to Brigadier General Emmanuel Luis Licup, regional director of the Zamboanga Peninsula Police Regional Office (PRO9).

During the inspection, the combined personnel from the Siay Municipal Police station, Provincial Mobile Force Company and the Zamboanga Sibugay Provincial Police recovered from Dinoy’s car a .45-caliber pistol loaded with nine bullets and another loaded magazine for an unspecified firearm.

Dinoy allegedly admitted that the gun was unlicensed, according to a report obtained by PRO-9 from the Siay police.

Dinoy also reportedly explained that he was carrying the pistol for self-protection when he was asked to bring a pregnant woman to Ipil town late Wednesday night.

“She is a resident of Payao and about to give birth and we rushed her to Ipil,” Dinoy was quoted as saying.

Dinoy was alone and was returning home after bringing the pregnant woman to Ipil when he was stopped at the checkpoint.

But Licup said Dinoy would be held liable for illegal possession of firearm and ammunition, and for violating the Commission on Election’s (Comelec) gun ban.

The Comelec has set the gun ban for the May 13 midterm elections from January 13 to June 12 this year. During this period, it is prohibited to carry firearms and other deadly weapons unless one has obtained a gun ban exemption from the Comelec.

Meanwhile, two fishermen were intercepted in a checkpoint at Barangay San Roque, Mabuhay town, Zamboanga Sibugay on Wednesday night, May 8. The fishermen were carrying high-powered weapons, a report reaching PRO-9 said.

Yusop Juple, 53, and Jerham Susulan, 21, both residents of Barangay Taguisian, Mabuhay were caught in possession of US-made 30M1 Springfield and an M16 rifle with a defaced serial number, the report added.