Gun ‘broker’ falls

CEBU, Philippines - An alleged gun broker was arrested in a raid in his house in Barangay Suba, Danao City, Wednesday evening.

Chief Superintendent Jose Mario Espino said Romel Talibid Pinote, 49, who sells lechon in the same barangay, also made money brokering for those who wanted to order guns illegally.

“He’s a broker. He’s the one financing manufacturing ng mga firearms. It is through him, that a person placed an order. He will be the one to commission the manufacturing of ‘yang pieces of firearms na ‘yan. And through that he’ll also be the one to sell it,” said Espino.

During the search, policemen found 11 .38 cal. revolvers, 14 .45 cal. pistols, .38, six 9mm cal. pistols, and 19 .22 cal. revolvers.

They also found 33 .45 cal. magazines, eight 9mm cal. magazines, and 20 .45 cal. handgrips. All the recovered items were estimated to cost a total of P200,000.

Based on investigation, the guns are manufactured in a mountain barangay of Danao.

Pinote said he has been brokering illegal firearms in Danao for about three and a half years now.

The sales in illegal firearms allegedly went down after President Rodrigo Duterte declared Martial Law in Mindanao.

“Wa na g’yuy namalit. Mao na nga daghan ang nakuha sa akoa kay natipon kay hinay kaayo ang palit,” Pinote said.

He said that a .45 cal. pistol costs at least P6,000 while a .38 cal. can be bought for P1,500.

Espino said Danao City has been known for a long time as the source of loose firearms in Cebu.

“Makikita natin, it did not stop. Continuous pa din. Still Danao is producing illegally manufactured firearms,” Espino said.

Pinote admitted during an interview that he was not scared of being arrested since many people in Danao are into the gun business.

“Hindi ko alam ‘yung percentage, but people in there are really craftsman in making firearms handed down from generation to generation,” said Espino.

Danao’s local manufacturing of guns has been featured several times in national and international documentaries about the Philippines. (FREEMAN)