Ex-Zambales mayor nabbed for guns, ammo

SAN ANTONIO, Zambales, Philippines — A former mayor of this town was arrested on Tuesday for illegal possession of firearms  and ammunition.

Romeo Lonzanida, 85, yielded an M14 rifle, a 5.56 rifle and 38 rounds of ammunition during a raid on his house in Sitio Nangalisan, Barangay Burgos by Philippine National Police Anti-Kidnapping Group personnel at around 2:48 a.m., Col. Jonnel Estomo, PNP-AKG director, said.

Estomo said Lonzanida is an alleged protector of a kidnap gang operating in Northern and Central Luzon as well as Metro Manila. The leader of the gang, Ricardo Peralta, surrendered in December last year.

Lonzanida was convicted of graft and 10 counts of falsification of public documents in 2003 and sentenced to up to 80 years in prison.

He went into hiding for 10 years.