Cops clients of 3 illegal gun shops

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO— Policemen are among the clients of three illegal gunsmiths whose shops were raided by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in Lubao, Pampanga province, on Thursday, a police official said.

Chief Supt. Ronaldo Santos, officer in charge of the Central Luzon regional police, said policemen went to the suspects, who are relatives and all surnamed Tiongco, to have their guns manufactured or repaired.

Santos did not say how much the Tiongcos charged the policemen for their services.

The CIDG mounted the raids on the suspects’ houses that also doubled as their shops in Barangay San Juan on the strength of three search warrants issued by a judge in Gapan City in Nueva Ecija province on June 15.

A police report said the raid on Lucas Tiongco’s house yielded two assembly machines for a Remington 12-gauge shotgun and .22-cal. air gun, a drill press, grinder and several gun parts.

Police found 19 firearms, various gun parts and bullets in the house of Michael Tiongco. Two guns were recovered in the house of Rene Tiongco.

Only Michael and Rene were around at the time of the raid. They are being held at the regional police headquarters in Camp Olivas here, facing charges of making and repairing guns without licenses. Tonette Orejas, Inquirer Central Luzon