MABINI, Batangas – The mayor of this town and his two siblings were arrested after unlicensed firearms were seized from them during a raid by the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-National Capital Region in their houses here on Saturday, June 17.
The raids against Mayor Nilo Villanueva and brothers Bayani, a barangay chairman and president of the Association of Barangay Chairman (ABC), and Oliver Villanueva, 46, a former police officer, were carried out through search warrants issued by Antipolo City Regional Trial Court Branch 74 Executive Judge Mary Josephine Lazaro.
The CIDG-NCR and Special Action Force (SAF) first raided the house of Oliver in Sitio Pook, Barangay Pulong Niogan at 4:20 a.m.
Found in the house were a caliber .22 pistol, caliber .45 pistol, two magazines for a caliber 5.56mm rifle, three magazines for a caliber .45 pistol, a hand grenade, 16 rounds of ammunition for a caliber 5.56mm rifle, and 55 rounds of ammunition for a caliber .45 pistol.
Oliver is facing charges for violating Republic Act (RA) 10591, the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulations Act, and RA 9516, law on explosives.
Mayor Villanueva's house at Villanueva Compound, Sitio Silangan, Barangay Santo Tomas, was raided 10 minutes later at 4:30 a.m. Seized from the house was a pouch containing a suspected explosive device but no firearms were found. The local chief executive is facing charges for violating RA 9516.
Bayani’s house was last to be raided at 5:25 a.m. in Sitio Silangan, Barangay Santo Tomas. Found were a Bushmaster caliber 5.56mm rifle, a magazine for a caliber 5.56mm rifle, 10 rounds of ammunition for a caliber 5.56mm rifle, and a MK2 hand fragmentation grenade.
He is facing charges for violating RA 10591 and 9516.
Lawmen also raided the house of another sibling, Ariel, at around 5:30 a.m. in Sitio Kanluran, Barangay Sampaguita, but he was not present but they recovered a Bushmaster caliber 5.56mm rifle, a magazine for a caliber 5.56mm rifle, and 10 rounds of ammunition for a caliber 5.56mm rifle.
The operation is part of “Oplan Paglalansag Omega,” a flagship project of the CIDG.
Mayor Villanueva and his siblings have been taken to CIDG headquarters in Camp Crame in Quezon City.