Tarlac CIDG provincial officer Chief Inspector Angelo Nicolas said his raiding team had asked Barangay Balaoang officials to witness last week the raid of a local mansion which was the subject of a search warrant issued by Judge Bernal Fajardo of the Tarlac Regional Trial Court branch 67.
The court warrant pertained to allegations that the owner of the mansion, identified as Wilson Bacaro Cielo possessed illegal firearms.
Nicolas, who led the raiding team, said he and his men pushed through with the raid despite the absence of any barangay official. He noted, however, that Cielo was not around amid reports he had flown to the US last Nov. 14.
However, Alfredo Laurazano Miguel, 61, house caretaker of Cielo, was arrested after a Squire and Bingham .22 rifle was confiscated from him.
Seized from Cielo’s house were a .45 Colt pistol, a magnum .357 pistol, an Armscor shot gun, a carbine (M2) rifle, an unmarked .22 rifle, and several pieces of various ammunitions. Nicolas said administrative and criminal complaints are being prepared against barangay officials of Balaoang who, he stressed, “refused to cooperate in the implementation of a lawful search warrant”.
Meanwhile, Nicolas also revealed that at least five counts of violation of RA 10591 or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunitions Regulation Act were filed against Cielo.
“A single count of violation of RA 10591 usually carries a bail of P140,000 but confiscation of more than three guns is a non-bailable offense” Nicolas noted.
