Soldier, 2 cohorts nabbed in Zambo City for firearms pilferage

From the Philippine News Agency (Nov 15, 2021): Soldier, 2 cohorts nabbed in Zambo City for firearms pilferage (By Teofilo Garcia, Jr.)

Joint police and military operatives have arrested three men, including a soldier, in an entrapment operation involving the sale of firearms and ammunition in this city, officials announced Monday.

Brig. Gen. Florence Ortilla, Police Regional Office (PRO-9) director, identified the arrested suspects as Cpl. Alkhaizer Balboa, 36, assigned at Camp Enrile, this city; and his two cohorts as Rodolfo Llenado Jr., 37; and Remar Hadjiri, 43.

Ortilla said the three were arrested in an entrapment operation around 1:30 a.m. Sunday at a hotel along Gov. Camins Avenue, Barangay Canelar, here.

Ortilla said confiscated from the suspects were government-issued firearms and ammunition that included two M-16 Armalite rifles, one M60 Machinegun, one M653 rifle, two .45-caliber pistols with ammunition, 14 boxes of caliber 5.56 live ammunition, empty shells, ammunition box, gun parts, a pick-up truck, and PHP800,000 marked money.

He said the entrapment operation was launched following days of surveillance on the illegal activity of the suspects.

The suspects were taken to the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in Region 9 (Zamboanga Peninsula) for the filing of appropriate charges against the suspects.

Maj. Gen. Alfredo Rosario Jr., commander of the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom), said impartial investigation and due process will be observed.

“If proven guilty, stiff penalties will be meted out to the soldier who committed the crime. Soldiers are the defenders of the people and the state, hence, anyone who violates the law has no place in the ranks of the armed forces,” Rosario said.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1159774