Brgy chair nabbed for illegal possession of high-powered firearms

BUTUAN CITY – The Army’s 71st Infantry (Kaibigan) Battallion (71st IB) and Maco police office have filed illegal possession of firearms a barangay chairman after eight highpowered weapons were seized from him late Friday afternoon, according to First Lt. Jhocell D. Asis, Civil Military Operation (CMO) officer of the 71st IB.

In a phone interview with The Manila Bulletin, the 71st IB CMO officer said Oligario W. Dagohoy, chairman of Barangay Limbo, in Maco town, Compostela Valley (ComVal) province, was chanced upon by soldiers, who were then pursuing Communist terrorists, of trying to hide six M16 and two AK-47 rifles.

Asis said Dagohoy hid the weapons inside a sack and was about to conceal it in his poultry shack.

“Our troops were pursuing three suspected members of Guerilla-Front Committee 2 (GFC 2), Sub-Regional Committee 2 (SRC 2) of the CPP-NPA Southern Mindanao Regional Command (SMRC) in Purok 3 of that same barangay on Tuesday,” the 71st IB CMO officer said.

She said a five-minute firefight had previously taken place before the rebels ran away, prompting the pursuit.

“Following their (suspected rebels) direction, troops chanced upon Dagohoy who was allegedly holding a sack and attempted to hide it on the poultry situated beside his house and was immediately found out that such sack contained six units M16 A1 rifles and two unit AK47 rifles,” alleged Asis.

Along with police officers from Maco Police Station, Pfc. Gil V. Penoy and Pfc. Edmond C. Prande filed a case against the suspect for illegal possession of firearms at the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office in Nabunturan, ComVal province on Wednesday, the 71st CMO officer added.