War materiel seized from Abra town officials in Monday morning raids

October 18, 2021 JUST IN

BAGUIO CITY(October 18, 2021) – War materiel including assault rifles and high-powered pistols and ammunition were seized from a town councilor, his cousin who is a municipal employee and another cousin during simultaneous raids on their homes in Pilar, Abra early Monday morning.
An Elisco-made caliber M16A1 baby armalite rifle with serial number 113054; four long and three magazines for the rifle; one hundred thirty-four rounds for the rifle; a caliber 45, M1911 pistol marked US ARMY with serial number 11001; three magazine assemblies for caliber 45 pistol; twenty bullets for caliber caliber 45; a Llama-made caliber 9MM pistol with serial number 940296; a magazine assembly for caliber 9MM; five bullets for 9mm pistol; two long magazines for US carbine rifle; two short magazines for carbine rifle; and thirteen bullets for the rifle were seized from the house of Pilar Sangunniang Bayan member George Dela Rosa Sotelo at barangay Narnara in said town at the break of dawn Monday.
Another hydra caliber 5.56mm rifle (M16) with serial 3406162; another defaced caliber 5.56mm assault rifle; two long magazine assemblies for caliber 5.56mm rifle; another short magazine assembly for caliber 5.56mm; and seventy-one bullets for the same rifle were seized from the house of Pilar municipal employee Ferdinand Sape dela Rosa, a cousin of SBM Sotelo.
Another caliber 45 Colt pistol 45 with magazine without serial number was seized from the house of SBM Sotelo’s cousin — Paterno Castilla Sotelo.
Cordillera police said Baguio City Regional Trial Court branch 5 Judge Maria Ligaya Itliong-Rivera ordered the raids on the houses of the cousins located adjacent to each other.
SBM Sotelo and his cousins were all taken by the police to answer for illegal firearms charges.
Artemio A. Dumlao