CAMP VICENTE LIM, Laguna – A suspected gun-for-hire was arrested by joint operatives in Balayan, Batangas on Friday morning.
Police Regional Office 4A (CALABARZON) Regional Director Brig. Gen. Antonio Yarra identified the suspect as Lorenzo Pedraza Holgado, 55, a resident of Brgy. Santol, Balayan, Batangas.
Found in the suspect’s possession in his residence were grenades, several firearms, and ammunition during the implementation of a search warrant issued by Judge Carolina Faustino De Jesus-Suarez, Presiding Judge of Branch 108, 4th Judicial Region, Regional Trial Court, Balayan Batangas.
Yarra reported that Holgado’s arrest was carried out at around 2:10 a.m. in his residence by joint operatives of Regional Mobile Force Battalion (RMFB) 4A, Regional Special Operations Unit (RSOU) 4A, Regional Intelligence Unit (RIU) 4A, Intelligence Service-Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP) and Balayan Municipal Police Station.
Confiscated from the suspect’s possession and control were a caliber .45 Taurus pistol with serial number NBU14723, caliber .45 Armscor pistol with serial number 1445735, an MK2 fragmentation hand grenade, a caliber .9mm replica Bruni MOD 92 with magazine, two ammunition, seven magazines and 61 pieces of ammunition of caliber .45, a black inside holster for caliber .45, and a black case for caliber .45 Armscor.
An investigation further revealed that the suspect is allegedly a gun for hire whose clients are mostly unscrupulous politicians.
The suspect will be charged with violation of R.A. 10591 (Comprehensive Law on Firearms and Ammunition Act) in relation to Comelec Resolution No. 10728.
The seized firearms will be subjected to a cross-matching procedure to detect if they were used in any crime committed with firearms, Yarra said in the report.