Ex-Negros board member, 3 others yield firearms in raid

Police seized at least 10 high-powered firearms in a raid at the houses of a former provincial board member and three others in Negros Occidental. An M-14 rifle, a cal-.45 pistol and a cal-.22 revolver were seized from the house of former board member Angelito Colmenares in Tuguis village in Hinigaran town, a report on Visayan Daily Star said Wednesday. Firearms were also found in the houses of village captain Adriano Eulatic, Arnel Barraca, and Joel Selorico in Hacienda Sibucao, also in Tuguis village, the report added. Two M-16 assault rifles with 140 rounds of ammunition and a cal-.22 revolver were seized from the house of Barraca, while a 12-gauge shotgun and a cal-.38 revolver were recovered from Eulatic's residence. A 9-mm pistol (serial number 70SC11981) and a cal-.22 revolver were also seized from the house of Selorico, a fighting cock handler. The report quoted deputy provincial police director for operations Superintendent Armando Tubongbanua as saying police will look into reports regarding the existence of private armed groups in the area. Eulatic, Barraca, and Selorico were immediately arrested. Colmenares was not in his house at the time of the raid, but later said the house the police raided belonged to his late father Buenaventura Montelibano-Colmenares. But he admitted he, family members, and other people also visit the house. He said he was surprised over the raid, and that he owns only the cal-.45 pistol and the 12-gauge shotgun, which he said have the proper licenses. Also, he said he is now residing in Gardenville Subdivision in Bacolod City. Colmenares also dismissed the raid as a form of harassment, adding he is not hiding from authorities. — RJAB Jr./LBG, GMANews.TV