‘Fake’ Army reservist, engineer tagged for gun smuggling charged

CEBU, Philippines — A total of three charges have been filed against a fake Army reservist and mechanical engineer who was arrested for alleged gun smuggling.

The National Bureau of Investigation-7 has filed cases of usurpation of authority, falsification of documents, and illegal possession of firearms against Jhefferson Higoy.

Higoy was arrested after NBI agents served him a search warrant in his condominium unit in Barangay Marigondon, Lapu-Lapu City last Friday.

According to NBI-7 regional director, Atty. Rennan Oliva, the operation was launched after the military requested for an investigation against Higoy. The search warrant was issued by Judge Joseph Stephen Ignacio of Branch 67 of the Regional Trial Court in Lapu-Lapu City.

The operation was held after authorities conducted monitoring and surveillance.

"These firearms and ammunition (seized) were in possession of Jhefferson Higoy who claimed to be a member of the Reserved Command of the Philippine Army with the rank of Captain," said Oliva.

"As you can see, naa syay I.D. which was seized during our implementation of the search warrant na he is captain with a serial number," he added.

However, during the investigation, the Army Reserve Command Personnel Management Center in Camp Riego de Dios in Tanza, Cavite issued that there was no Captain Jhefferson Higoy under the serial number he provided on his I.D.

Higoy was, however, found to have been issued with a commission to the reservist command with a rank of sergeant assigned at the 701st Cebu Community Defense Center last November 25, 2020.

Further, the process was not completed due to false information stated in his application, including the denial of the university where he claimed to have studied as mechanical engineering. He also does not have a Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) certification, which is one of the requirements in applying for an Army reservist.

"So he misled his application, there was malice in submitting these documents claiming to be such when in truth, he was not. He was misleading the Philippine Army when he gave his application,” said Oliva.

Oliva added that no firearms or ammunition has been issued in such a name.

Aside from this, also during the operation, the authorities seized another I.D. showing that Higoy is also a mechanical engineer.

"We have certification from the Professional Regulation Commission in Cebu Regional Office that the name Jhefferson Higoy does not appear in the database for mechanical engineers," said Oliva.

Meanwhile, Colonel Melisan Raymund Recaido, group commander of the Reserve Command Group in Central Visayas, said that they did not receive reports of abuses done by Higoy including the usage of the firearms seized.

They, however, received reports of him wearing the reservist’s uniform and bringing a firearm in public which is against their duties as army reservists.

“We don’t issue firearms with reservists except during training. The confiscated firearms were all illegal kasi walang mga papeles yun. It is the policy of the command na iisyuhan lang yung reservist natin during training kung kailangan ng firearms, after the training isasauli,” Recaido said.

Recaido said all four confiscated firearms from Higoy were unlicensed.

Oliva added that these confiscated loose firearms will be subjected to ballistic examination to determine if these were used in illegal activities. — GMR (FREEMAN)