Armed group barred from Camp Aguinaldo

MANILA, Philippines — Members of a group calling itself the Southeast Asia Collective Defense Treaty were prevented from entering Camp Aguinaldo yesterday morning after they were found to be carrying guns. 

Five handguns – two homemade .45 caliber pistols and three 9mm pistols – were seized from them along with seven magazines loaded with 47 9mm bullets and 26 .45 caliber bullets, said Col. Edgard Arevalo, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Public Affairs Office (PAO) chief.

The group was led by Daniel Pagalan, their chief intelligence officer, with their members identified as Alvin Simbahon, Rolando Mahusay alias Kumander Melody, Dioscoro Danis, James Iwayan, Butch Galimba, Rico Giducos, Ramil Peralta, Rundy Paderes and Pascula Dizon alias Kumander Haslim. 

Arevalo said they presented identification cards bearing the group’s name.

The men were intercepted as they tried to enter Camp Aguinaldo in a van at around 5:30 a.m., claiming they were on their way to present a letter requesting accreditation to Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana.

They were held for questioning when it turned out they had no prior appointment and they did not have gun ban exemptions from the Commission on Elections.

The AFP has turned the group over to the Quezon City Police District Station 8.

Arevalo commended the guards on duty at the time for their “vigilance and appropriate action taken.”