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Raid on Ampatuan in-law's office in Davao yields firearms


Several unlicensed firearms, including high-powered rifles, were seized during a raid on the office of a security agency owned by an in-law of the Ampatuan clan in Davao City early Thursday. Police who conducted the raid also arrested a soldier guarding the office of the Banderas Security Agency, whose owner they said is an in-law of Energy Undersecretary Zamzamin Ampatuan. "We received information that high-powered firearms were kept here. We have been able to seize Armalite rifles and cal-.45 pistols supposedly owned by the security agency," police Region 11 head Chief Superintendent Pedro Tango said in an interview on dzBB radio. But he did not say if the raid was connected with the linking of members of the Ampatuan clan to the gruesome massacre of 57 people, including 32 journalists, last November 23. A report by dzBB's Davao affiliate said that as of 7 a.m., the raid yielded at least three M-16 Armalite rifles including one Baby Armalite; 19 shotguns; 94 cal-.38 revolvers, a cal-.45 pistol; and a 9-mm pistol. Police also seized assorted magazines for firearms.


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No Comelec authority Tango also said they arrested a soldier guarding the security agency. He had an Armalite rifle but had no authority from the Commission on Elections to guard the area. He said the soldier, who he did not identify, was stationed there supposedly on Undersecretary Ampatuan's request. "May na-accost na isang sundalo, allegedly requested by Undersecretary Ampatuan to provide security. Ang problema wala siyang Comelec clearance to render security duty. Meron siyang Armalite rifle, which he surrendered earlier. Nang tinanong natin kung may Comelec authority, wala raw (We accosted the soldier allegedly accosted by Undersecretary Ampatuan to provide security. The problem is that he had no Comelec clearance to render security duty. He also surrendered his Armalite rifle)," he said. Also, Tango said the security agency's license had expired as early as August 2008. "The agency's license expired as of August 2008. My presumption is that since its license had expired, it should not be deploying any security guards at this time," he said. Tango said a local court issued a search warrant for the house near the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) compound in Davao City. The house was used as the security agency's headquarters, he said. Cache of ammunition On Wednesday in Shariff Aguak town in Maguindanao province, security forces recovered a huge cache of ammunition following a raid on the house of one Salik Santiago, said to be Andal Ampatuan Jr.'s father-in-law. "We have recovered many munitions; bullets for automatic weapons – machine guns, rifles and even munitions for a grenade launchers. This is part of our continuing campaign to collect all illegal weapons in Maguindanao and other areas in the region," said Senior Superintendent Bienvenido Latag, the regional police chief. Police also recovered the gun permit of Andal Jr. in the house. It was unknown if he owns the cache. Andal Jr. is currently detained at the headquarters of the National Bureau of Investigation in Manila and is facing multiple murder charges filed by families and relatives of the massacre victims. - with Al Jacinto, LBG/RSJ, GMANews.TV
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