Olaguera asks Alagar to send group to locate Cocpo’s missing guns

Lito Rulona and Nitz Arancon

CITY police director Senior Supt. Faro Antonio Olaguera yesterday said he has asked Camp Alagar to create a group that would locate missing firearms, and look into the tampering of serial numbers of guns belonging to the Cagayan de Oro City Police Office (Cocpo).

At least five long firearms, mostly M16 armalite rifles, were found with tampered serial numbers and several others are still unaccounted for from at least three police stations here.

The discovery of loose and tampered firearms were disclosed by Supt. Danildo Tumanda, deputy city police director, during Cocpo’s flagaising ceremony at Maharlika headquarters on Monday morning.

Tumanda said they discovered that the serial numbers of at least six firearms have been tampered with and five other firearms are missing, including a shotgun.

Tumanda made the disclosure following an inventory by Camp Alagar’s Regional Physical and Accounting Team (RPAT). Results of the audit conducted show that there were rifles missing from the Cocpo headquarters and other police stations in the city.

“Nahibaloan nga dunay mga missing sa armory which were issued to several police stations. Walay proper recording mao nga nagka-problema na,” he said.

It was also found out that a police officer was issued with two long firearms which was a violation. The first issuance was in 2004 and the second was last year.

Olaguera said a senior police officer was suspected of being behind the tampering of the guns’ serial numbers and the missing firearms but would not disclose the name pending the filing of charges.

Other police stations with missing firearms are Police Stations in Cogon, 7, 3, and 6.

Cocpo is now preparing charges for malversation of public property, and grave misconduct. (lito rulona and nitz arancon)