Authorities arrested a police sergeant after he was caught selling high-powered firearms during an entrapment operation in Parañaque City last Saturday.
The suspect was identified as Police Staff Sgt. Reynaldo Ursulum. He was arrested together with 21-year old Carvyn Parcon during the entrapment in a restaurant on Doña Soledad Avenue in the said city.
According to Philippine National Police (PNP) Gen. Debold Sinas, Ursulum was a member of Regional Personnel Holding and Accounting Unit of Police Regional Office 7 in Central Visayas.
Sinas said the undercover cop was set to buy four assault rifles for P500,000 from the suspects. They were caught while in the act of the exchange.
Police seized four Bushmaster M4A1 carbines, a PNP-issued Taurus 9mm pistol, magazine assemblies with live ammunition, ID and ATM cards, and an SUV with license plates JUN 660 from the suspect.
Sinas said the cop’s gun supplier is from Alabang in Muntinlupa City. Follow-up operations are now being conducted to locate the source of the guns.
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High-powered firearms seized from chief tanod in Cebu
Authorities recovered high-powered firearms from a barangay chief watchman (tanod) in a barangay in Balamban, Cebu last Saturday.
The suspect was identified as Prudencio Baculi Jr. Police raided his house in Barangay Lamesa were an M16 rifle, a carbine rifle, a KG9 sub-machine gun, a hand grenade, and various ammunition was seized, reported Police Major Ronald Tolosa, deputy chief for operations of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-Central Visayas (CIDG 7).
Regional Trial Court Judge Ruben F. Altubar of Branch 29 issued the search warrant against Baculi.
Authorities launched the operation following the complaints of residents that an armed tanod was roving in their village.
Tolosa said these reports of an armed individual going around the barangay caused fears among the residents.
“It was an old information, but nobody dared to act on it,” said Tolosa.
“The case was developed, and after verification, it was found out that this person was not allowed to carry firearms. Maybe he thought he was allowed to carry firearms because he is a chief tanod,” he added.