Firearms seized from the suspects. Contributed photo.
GAPAN CITY – Five people, including a city council bet, are facing a string of criminal cases for allegedly yielding firearms after mauling a minor in Barangay San Lorenzo here on Wednesday.
Police identified the suspects as Alexander Bulacan, 50; Elizalde Tinio, 45; and Eric Valmonte, 42, all of Barangay Pambuan; Hermie Salidares, 33, of Barangay San Vicente; and Arsenio Villareal, 58; of Puting Tubig, all in Gapan.
Tinio, an incumbent village councilor is running for a seat in the sanggununiang panlungsod here.
City police chief Lt. Col. Alexie Desamito said the suspects were arrested at about 9:10 p.m. in a hot pursuit operation that was launched a mother filed a complaint over the alleged mauling of minor son identified only as “Ivan.”
CCTV footages showed the suspects alighted from a sedan and one of them rushed to punch the victim, who was riding a bicycle. The incident was preceded by a near collision involving the parties on Wednesday morning.
“The aid of CCTV footages and witnesses gathered at the crime scene, resulted to the positive identification of the suspects and the vehicle used by them,” Desamito said in her report to the Nueva Ecija police provincial office.
Upon arrest, investigators seized one .45 pistol, two .38 revolvers and several rounds of live ammunitions, Desamito said.
Charges of violation of RA 7610 or the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act and RA 10591 or Omnibus Election Code were being filed against the suspects at presstime.
