By NITZ ARANCON
Correspondent
AUTHORITIES seized caliber .45 pistols and high-powered rifles from the house of a Lanao del Sur politician and a suspected gun smuggler in two raids in Bonbon and Pagatpat here yesterday morning.
Capt. Patrick Martinez, Camp Evangelista spokesman, said the separate raids staged by the Martial Law Special Action Group resulted in the seizure of guns from the houses of Jabar Tago at Zone 5, Bonbon, and Jalaloden Macaraman Lao at Mindanao Homes Subdivision in Pagatpat.
Neither of the two suspects were arrested. Their whereabouts are unknown at presstime.
The search in the Bonbon property of Tago, a politican who ran for mayor in Pantar town, Lanao del Norte in the last elections, resulted in the confiscation of six caliber .45 pistols and M14 rifle and AK47 rifles.
Martinez said authorities were checking if the firearms that have been taken by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group were licensed or not.
He said Tago would be charged with illegal arms possession unless he could show documents.
Martinez said authorities were also looking into Tago’s suspected involvement in the three shooting deaths near a used clothing store at the Cogon area last year. The victims were Maranaos.
The task force raided Tago’s house and searched vehicles in the compound. They also searched two other houses, a warehouse full of used clothing, and even a mosque in the compound.
The raiding team looked like they were entering a war zone during the raid. They came with V150 commando vehicles, military trucks, and they were guarded by soldiers armed with caliber .50 machine guns and other high-powered firearms.
Almost simultaneously, at around 7 am, another team of law enforces raided the house of Lao at Mindanao Homes Subdivision in Barangay Pagatpat where they found and seized three guns, including a caliber .45 pistol, according to Martinez.
Martinez said Lao is suspected to be involved in gun smuggling operations in this part of the country, and investigators were looking into his suspected involvement in the attempt to smuggle into the city nine thousand rounds of ammunition that were seized by authorities in Barangay Camaman-an recently.
He said Lao’s wife and brother were brought to the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group office for investigation.
The two raids were based on the July 26 search warrant issued by Judge Mirabeaus Ondalok of the Regional Trial Court Branch 43 in Gingoog City.
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