4 Chinese jailed for life over firearms

By Freddie Lazaro

LAOAG CITY, Ilocos Norte — The four Chinese nationals, who were arrested for possessing high-powered firearms in a checkpoint near a gasoline station in Pasuquin town on May 28, 2013 were sentenced to life imprisonment by a local court here.

In a decision released last week by Judge Francisco Quilala of the Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 14 in Laoag City, the four Chinese national namely: Leng Haiyun, Dang Huiyin, Liu Wen Xion and Lei Guang Feng were found guilty of illegal possession of firearms and explosives.

The Chinese nationals were sentenced to life imprisonment based on the pieces of evidence presented by the police in court and the testimonies from witnesses.

The suspects yielded several high-caliber firearms, including three MP5 submachine guns; two .45- caliber pistols; two 9mm handguns, a .40-cal. pistol with silencer; several rounds of ammunition; eight grenades and several vehicle license plates.

Police theorized the four Chinese are members of a gun-for-hire group even as they claimed that they were tourists visiting Ilocos Norte for a vacation.

The suspects had earlier denied ownership of the guns, bullets, and explosives recovered from their vehicle.