Pangasinan mayor nabbed on gun raps

The late Lingayen vice mayor Ramon Arcinue and his wife, Zorhayda. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

DAGUPAN CITY, Philippines—Agents of the National Bureau of Investigation on Wednesday arrested Urbiztondo mayor Ernesto Balolong Jr. for keeping unlicensed firearms and for his possible participation in the murder of a local politician and his wife in Manila last year.

Pedro Roque Jr., head agent of the NBI district office here, said NBI agents swooped down on Balolong’s house and farm in Urbiztondo town at 6:30 a.m.

“We talked to him and showed him the search warrants,” said Roque. NBI agents were accompanied by Philippine Army personnel.

The warrants were issued by a Manila judge following the arrest of a suspected gun-for-hire, identified as Guialaludin Sacandal Otto, in General Santos City earlier this month.

The NBI said Otto was identified by the two sons of former Lingayen Vice Mayor Ramon Arcinue and his wife, Zorhayda, as the killer of their parents on March 7, 2012, in Sampaloc, Manila. The sons had witnessed the killing, the NBI said.

Aside from Balolong’s four-story house, NBI agents also raided the mayor’s poultry and piggery farms.

“We seized at least 20 firearms—eight [hand guns] and 12 rifles—and hundreds of bullets. The long firearms consisted of M-14 and M-16 Armalite rifles,” Roque said.

“We placed the mayor under arrest. We brought him to [Metro] Manila for further investigation. We will file charges against him in [Metro] Manila,” he said.

Balolong, a member of the administration’s Liberal Party, may face cases for illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, and for his alleged participation in the murder of the Arcinue couple, he said.

Balolong said the guns were issued to his security personnel and had permits.

“Lahat ito may permit. Ilang beses na pong tinangka kaming patayin, pati ang anak ko. Kailangan naman namin depensahan ang mga sarili namin (All these guns have permits. Several times, I have survived attempts to kill me, and even my child. We need to defend ourselves),” NBI agents recall Balolong saying.

However, Virgilio Mendez, deputy director for regional services of the NBI, said the seized guns had defaced markings and serial numbers.

The NBI said the firearms would be subjected to ballistic examination to determine whether these were used in killing the Arcinues.

Arcinue’s older brother, Sual Mayor Roberto Arcinue, said the family was saddened by the slow progress in the case.

“It has been a year and eight months since they were killed in front of their children,” he said.

“We are hoping that what the NBI is doing will lead to the solution of the case.”—With Nancy C. Carvajal

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