BALANGA City, Bataan – Mayor Rommel del Rosario of Bagac, Bataan on Tuesday has ordered the town’s police force to investigate unconfirmed reports that firearms contained in 15 wooden boxes might have been unloaded in the area from MV Captain UFUK.
“Gusto nating malaman kung ano talaga ang katotohanan sa sinasabing baka sa karagatan ng Bagac ibinaba ang mga baril,” the mayor said, adding in jest “wala akong kinalaman diyan.”
Insp. Marlon Cudal, Bagac police chief, said he sent teams in the coastal barangays and contacted informants in 14 villages “but so far the report was still negative.”
“Hindi maikakaila dito kung talagang may ganoong nangyari pero patuloy pa ang ating monitoring,” he said.
Cudal said that Sr. Supt. Manuel Gaerlan, Bataan police director, has directed all chiefs of police in 11 towns and one city in the province “to conduct intelligence, monitoring and checkpoint operations” after receiving reports that 9 mm pistols might have been dumped or found its way to Bataan.
“All units of the Bataan police were also alerted but so far there is no confirmation on the presence in any part of Bataan of firearms from the vessel,” Cudal said.
The Philippine Coast Guard in an initial investigation reported that the turn-over between two masters of MV Captain Ufuk, British Capt. Bruce Jones and South African Capt. Laurence John, took place at the vicinity waters off Bagac on or about 3:00 in the afternoon of August 19.
The next day, Thursday, joint teams from the Bureau of Customs, Philippine Coast Guard and the Bataan police found and seized five wooden boxes containing 50 Galil SS1-VI cal.5.56 A1 assault rifles at hatch No. 2 of the Panamanian-registered vessel in Mariveles.
The government agents also discovered 15 empty wooden boxes but allegedly with 9 mm pistol markings fuelling suspicion that the “missing” firearms were already delivered or dumped somewhere.
Latest reports showed that Captain John and 13 Georgian crews were placed under the responsibility of the Bureau of Immigration.
The seized firearms were brought to the main office of the BoC in Manila while the vessel is still in Mariveles guarded by the Coast Guard and the Mariveles police.
“Gusto nating malaman kung ano talaga ang katotohanan sa sinasabing baka sa karagatan ng Bagac ibinaba ang mga baril,” the mayor said, adding in jest “wala akong kinalaman diyan.”
Insp. Marlon Cudal, Bagac police chief, said he sent teams in the coastal barangays and contacted informants in 14 villages “but so far the report was still negative.”
“Hindi maikakaila dito kung talagang may ganoong nangyari pero patuloy pa ang ating monitoring,” he said.
Cudal said that Sr. Supt. Manuel Gaerlan, Bataan police director, has directed all chiefs of police in 11 towns and one city in the province “to conduct intelligence, monitoring and checkpoint operations” after receiving reports that 9 mm pistols might have been dumped or found its way to Bataan.
“All units of the Bataan police were also alerted but so far there is no confirmation on the presence in any part of Bataan of firearms from the vessel,” Cudal said.
The Philippine Coast Guard in an initial investigation reported that the turn-over between two masters of MV Captain Ufuk, British Capt. Bruce Jones and South African Capt. Laurence John, took place at the vicinity waters off Bagac on or about 3:00 in the afternoon of August 19.
The next day, Thursday, joint teams from the Bureau of Customs, Philippine Coast Guard and the Bataan police found and seized five wooden boxes containing 50 Galil SS1-VI cal.5.56 A1 assault rifles at hatch No. 2 of the Panamanian-registered vessel in Mariveles.
The government agents also discovered 15 empty wooden boxes but allegedly with 9 mm pistol markings fuelling suspicion that the “missing” firearms were already delivered or dumped somewhere.
Latest reports showed that Captain John and 13 Georgian crews were placed under the responsibility of the Bureau of Immigration.
The seized firearms were brought to the main office of the BoC in Manila while the vessel is still in Mariveles guarded by the Coast Guard and the Mariveles police.
