Army soldiers find arms cache in hut of Danao barangay chief

A cache of assorted of firearms, some of them high powered, a grenade and several ammunition were seized by Army troops belonging to 78th Infantry Battalion while on a combat patrol in a roadside barangay of Danao City last Saturday in the morning.

The troops led by Lt. Alberto Diaz of the Alpha Company based in Dungoan, Danao City were on patrol when they spotted a man carrying a yellow sack on his back.

What prompted them to follow the man were the muzzles of rifles that they saw sticking out of the sack.

The trail led them to a hut owned by Looc barangay captain Antonio Alvaro where they found more guns and ammunition.

SPO1 Jose Relampagos of the Danao City police told The Freeman that the man who the soldiers saw as identified as Alvaro Alvaro alias Barok, who is a son of the barangay captain.

The soldiers however only turned over firearms and ammunition and other material and no arrest was made.

The soldiers turned over an improvised M-14 rifle; a .22 cal. magnum Black Widow revolver; a .22 cal. magnum revolver; another .22 caliber magnum Deringger revolver: and a Mark 4 fragmentation grenade.

Other evidence recovered were three unfinished barrels of a .38 cal. revolver and .45 cal. pistol; 24 pieces live 12 gauge shotgun ammunition; two spent 12 gauge shotgun shells; 11 empty M-16 short magazines; two long M-16 magazines; six magazines for .45 caliber pistol; and four carbine rifle magazines.

Soldiers also seized 287 assorted live ammunition for firearms of varied caliber and several empty shells.

Military accessories such as M-16 combat magazine pouches; acarbine bandolier; leather belt of a 9 mm pistol holster; 24 pieces of 9 mm lead for ammunition; shoulder sling; and another magazine pouch.

What puzzled Relampagos is that despite the alleged admission of barangay captain Alvaro that he owned the firearms and ammunition, he was not arrested by the military men.

Relampagos said that he also noticed that the rifles the soldiers allegedly saw inside the sack brought by Alvaro's son were not turned over.

Alvaro's wife Emma accompanied by her daughter went to Danao police station to report the presence of military men she believed to be members of 78th IB, who were allegedly looking for someone.

The said military men allegedly ransacked their abandoned open hut that served as a poultry and then left the area.

Later that day around 6 in the evening, the same military men together with some members of a television crew allegedly went back to their house and looking for her husband to interview him, but the barangay captain wasn't there.

His barangay councilor brother Pepe Alvaro reportedly went outside and refused their entry, and later on the said group walked away.

Danao police is yet to file the case against the barangay official today after the 78th IB presented their complaints and affidavits. - Edwin Ian Melecio