JOINT operatives on Saturday arrested the mayor of Mabini in Batangas while a cache of high-powered weapons and ammunition were seized in raids in the town.
A report submitted to Mabini Municipal Police Station chief Maj. Jobeth de Castro identified the arrested suspects as Mayor Nilo Villanueva of Mabini municipality, and his relatives Bayani Villanueva, chairman of Bgy. Sto. Tomas and president of the Association of Barangay Captains in Mabini, and ex-policeman Oliver Villanueva.
Members of the CIDG National Capital Region Field Unit, PNP Special Action Force, National Capital Region Police Office, the PNP EOD/K9 Group and the Police Regional Office 4-A launched the raids.
The suspects’ residences were raided on the strength of a search warrant for violation of Republic Act 10591 or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulations Act of 2013 issued by Judge Mary Josephine Lazaro of the Antipolo City Regional Trial Court last Friday.
Police said the raids were part of their stepped-up implementation of the CIDG’s ‘Oplan: Paglalansag Omega’ aimed at accounting for loose weapons and partisan armed groups that could be used to disrupt the forthcoming October Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections.
A raid at the house of ex-policeman Oliver Villanueva yielded a cali. 5.56 M-16 automatic rifle with two magazines containing 16 live ammunition, one cal. .45 semi-automatic pistol with three loaded magazines and 55 cal. .5 bullets.
Another raid at the Villanueva Compound in Sitio Silangan in Bgy. Sto. Tomas resulted in the arrest of Bayani Villanueva for illegal possession of a cal. .5.56 assault rifle with magazine containing 10 live ammunition and one MK2 fragmentation grenade .
A raid at another house inside the Villanueva Compound led to the arrest of Mayor Nilo Villanueva for illegal possession of a small pouch containing a suspected explosive.
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