CA stops suspension of PNP official over missing AK-47s

MANILA, Philippines–The Court of Appeals has stopped the Office of the Ombudsman from implementing the suspension order against a police official linked to the 1,004 missing high-powered AK-47 firearms allegedly sold to the New People’s Army (NPA).

In a resolution dated January 12 made public on Monday, the appeals court 10th Division issued a 60-day temporary restraining order on the suspension of Chief Superintendent Regino Catiis.

The appellate court required Catiis to pay P100,000 bond for the stay order.

Catiis served as chief of the Licensing Division of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Firearms and Explosives Division (FED) from October 12, 2010, up to February 10, 2012. He was the executive officer of the PNP Directorate for Comptrollership at the time of his suspension on November 26, 2014.

“If the foregoing allegations of the petitioners could be determined to be true and duly substantiated, especially the allegations that the application for gun licenses dated February 24, 2012, was filed weeks after the petitioner was already transferred to the Directorate for Comptrollership of the PNP and that the two other application forms bear different signature strokes, then it seems that he has a clear legal right that was violated and thus deserves to be urgently protected,” the Court of Appeals said.

Catiis and 12 others were suspended by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales last December.

In approving the preventive suspension, Morales cited “the bulk of material evidence in the custody of the PNP, and given the power and authority attached to the respondents’ positions, there is strong probability that they may influence witnesses or tamper with any evidence material to the case.”

Based on the PNP database, 1,004 licensed firearms were released through the submission of incomplete and/or falsified applications submitted by Isidro Lozada, owner of Caraga Security Agency. The firearms were purchased from Twin Pines Inc. which facilitated and submitted the license applications of Lozada to the PNP-FED. Despite irregularities in the applications, licenses were processed and approved by PNP-FED officials and personnel.

Further investigation showed that the license to operate of Caraga Security Agency had expired on September 30, 2012.

The CIDG was also able to validate information that firearms matching the serial numbers of the licensed AK-47s issued to the security agencies and mining company were recovered from encounters between the military and NPA rebels in the Caraga and Western Mindanao regions.

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