By LITO RULONA
Correspondent
THE Misamis Oriental police is coordinating with Task Force Oro in looking into the foiled attempt to sneak in government-owned ammunition and explosives from strife-torn Marawi City, and in effort to build a case against a staff sergeant who was allegedly behind it.
Senior Supt. Rolando Destura, Misamis Oriental police director, said one of the three arrested suspects named the person who allegedly instructed them to transport the explosives and ammunition from Marawi to General Santos City.
Over local radio, suspect Jerry Balabat said the ammunition and explosives came from one S/Sgt. Villacampo.
The 55-year old Balabat was charged before the prosecutor’s office in El Salvador, Misamis Oriental along with his wife Amalia, 53, and driver Sergio Pangantihon, 32, on Wednesday.
The suspects, who are from Polomolok, South Cotabato, were caught at a checkpoint in El Salvador on Monday, transporting the explosives and ammunition in a Toyota Hi-Ace van bound to General Santos.
Seized from them were a box containing 150 fired cartridges of 7.62mm, two boxes of 164 caliber .50 fired cartridges, six boxes (30 pieces each) 7.62mm live ammo, 50 rounds of caliber .60 live ammo, a caliber .30 live ammo, nine caliber .50 ammo; two 5.56mm RPA live ammo, and a 7.62mm RPA live ammo.
Authorities also confiscated a box containing 11 caliber .50 live ammo, 15 caliber .50 fired cartridges; 100 rounds of caliber 5.56; three boxes of 30 live 5.56mm ammo,18 boxes of 30 live 5.56 ammo RPA, 16 live 5.56mm ammo, and six 40mm M203 grenades.
The boxes have the markings “Government Arsenal” and “Philippine Army Property.”
Destura said the ammunition and explosives were being examined by the National Police’s Crime Laboratory.
He said they were coordinating with other law enforcement groups to validate claims made against the soldier.
“The result of the ballistic examination would determine if the ammunition indeed came from the government,” he said.
Supt. Lemuel Gonda, Camp Alagar spokesperson, said the soldier initially mentioned by one of the suspects was not named in their affidavit.
Camp Evangelista spokesperson Capt. Joe Patrick Martinez said the military was still in the process of checking the authenticity of the initial claims about “S/Sgt. Villacampo” and determining his unit.
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