TUGUEGARAO CITY, Philippines – Police authorities have impounded the .45-caliber pistols which the municipal government of Rizal in western Cagayan gave to its vice mayor and five other officials.
This, after police found out that the pistols issued to Vice Mayor Jonas Ruma, cousin of Mayor Joel Ruma; municipal assessor Mary Grace Guzman, municipal agriculturist Pureza Littaua, municipal registrar Mondego Asistores, municipal council secretary Erlinda Pamittan, and property custodian Romeo Tuddao, had expired licenses.
Rizal town grabbed headlines when its mayor, Raul de la Cruz, and three bodyguards were killed in an ambush in 2008. In February 2011, its police chief and five of his men were gunned down.