Lawyer claims firearms in architect house ‘planted’

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY: The lawyer of Rey Galua, reportedly a “person of interest” (POI) in the killing of a university president here claimed - arms seized by the law enforcers in Galua’s residence were “planted.”

Law enforcers described Galua, but not a suspect in connection with the murder of Ricardo Rotoras, president of the University of Science and Technology in Southern Philippines (USTP) in December last year.

Lawyer Arturo Ubaub, a retired provincial prosecutor, said Galua has only two firearms and the rest of the other firearms and explosives reportedly seized during a raid were “planted.”

“Planted” is a popular word used to describe on material evidence reportedly placed by a cases against a suspect.

He did not say whether the firearms have documents.

Ubaub also confirmed that Galua and Rotoras were into some kind of conflict in the past. He did not elaborate.

Supt. Melgar Devaras, chief of the Crime Investigation and Detection Group ( CIDG) in Northern Mindanao, said the law enforcers who raided the house of Galua in a posh subdivision in Cagayan de Oro City on Tuesday recovered about four short firearms, ammunitions and two hand grenades.

Devaras said that the CIDG, armed with a search warrant, raided the residence of Galua in Pueblo Golf Course, a high-end subdivision in Upper Canito-an, Cagayan de Oro City, based on information that the subject has a

A subsequent raid on Galua’s other house in Agusan del Norte Wednesday also turned out two

Galua was reportedly admitted to a local hospital here Wednesday after complaining of chest pains.

In a statement released on Thursday, the Rotoras family bewailed reports that Galua has something to with the killing of the university president.

Elde Rotoras said Galua was arrested for alleged possession of firearms and his arrest has nothing to do with the murder of his brother.