Man in viral Makati traffic video held for guns, explosives
Several unlicensed firearms and explosives were found by the police yesterday morning, following a search of two residential buildings in a posh Makati City village owned by a businessman who was seen in a viral video last week harassing city traffic enforcers.
Armed with a search warrant, elements of the National Capital Region Police Office-Regional Special Operations Unit (NCRPO-RSOU) and Makati City police swooped down the houses of Arnold Padilla on San Antonio Street, Magallanes Village, Makati City at around 7 a.m.
NCRPO Director Guillermo Eleazar said that based on their initial search, a shotgun, a .45 pistol and two grenades were found inside one of Padilla's houses.
"Dalawa kasi ang bahay niyang magkatabi so palipatlipat sila dyan pati ang security niya. Initially, may na-recover na tayong caliber .45, shotgun at dalawang hand grenade (He has two houses, he usually transfers from house to the other, including his security team. Initially, we recovered a caliber .45 [pistol], a shotgun and two hand grenades)," said Eleazar.
Denial Padilla and his live-in partner, Glocel Razon, however, claimed the guns are licensed and said the explosives were planted and that the police manipulated the closed circuit television cameras in the Padilla residence.
"Ganyan naman ang sinasabi ng lahat nang nahuhuli natin – na pinaplantahan ng ebidensya pero hindi naman (All of those we arrest usually say we are planting evidence but we do not)," Eleazar stressed.
Revoked license He also bared that PNP's Firearms and Explosive Office (FEO)revoked Padilla’s firearms license in April 2018 after it was discovered that he submitted a fake drug test result.
This was confirmed by PNPFEO director, Chief Superintendent Valeriano de Leon.
No bail Padilla was placed under arrest for violation of Republic Act 10591 or illegal possession of firearms and Republic Act 9156 or illegal possession of explosives, a non-bailable offense.
He was brought to the NCRPO headquarters for documentation and preparation of charges against him after receiving treatment for elevated blood pressure and hypertension.
Road ‘toughies’
Padilla and Razon were recently featured in a viral video where they and their bodyguards confronted two traffic enforcers in Makati City who flagged them down for a traffic violation.
The Makati City police said Padilla cursed and spit at the two traffic enforcers while Razon hit the enforcers.
Three bodyguards then followed the couple and simultaneously attacked the enforcers, the police added.
Neighborhood woes
Eleazar, however, said the viral incident did not trigger the implementation of a search warrant against the suspects.
He said they have long been receiving reports that Padilla was a toughie in their neighborhood.
"He already has a case even before for illegal possession of firearms. Accordingly in Barangay Magallanes, he is already facing 30 complaints for various offenses including harassment of his neighbors," Eleazar said in the vernacular.