9 under probe for 41 missing firearms in Urdaneta City Police Station

From the Philippine News Agency (Dec 23): 9 under probe for 41 missing firearms in Urdaneta City Police Station

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan -- Nine members of the Urdaneta City Police Station (UPS), one of them a non-uniformed personnel, are under investigation in connection with the missing 41 firearms of various calibers at the armory of the police station.

Supt. Jackie Candelario, deputy police regional director for operations, reported that investigation into the missing firearms is now being conducted jointly by the Pangasinan Police Provincial Office (PPPO) and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG).

The investigation was ordered by the Police Regional Office 1 following an inventory conducted by the National Police Commission (Napolcom) regional office that 41 firearms in the armory of the Urdaneta police could not be accounted for.

Candelario described the incident as a big blow to the police organization that needs to be investigated thoroughly to pinpoint the person or persons responsible.

Those under investigation, he said, were temporarily relieved of their respective posts and are now restricted to quarters at the Police Provincial Office in Lingayen until the resolution of the case.

He said investigators are looking into whether the incident was perpetrated by only one person or in connivance with other police personnel.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=950512