Ecija mayor jailed for illegal firearms

TALUGTOG, Nueva Ecija -- A former mayor of this town landed in jail after he yielded high-powered firearms when policemen swooped down on his house here.

Director Samuel Pagdilao, head of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, said the operation that led to the arrest of ex-Talugtog town Mayor Floro Pagaduan is part of their intensified campaign against loose firearms and partisan armed groups.

Pagdilao said Nueva Ecija is the one of the notorious provinces in Luzon where the existence of partisan armed groups have been monitored, with some local politicians at the forefront.

“Our objective is to disband private armed groups identified with politicians and confiscate their weapons that can be possibly used as instrument of intimidation, violence and crime,” said Pagdilao.

Nearly 100 partisan armed groups, or PAGs, have been monitored across the country, most of them in Mindanao.

The PAGs are usually active before, during and shortly after elections as they are being used by erring politicians to ensure their victory.

In the case of Nueva Ecija, the official said several local politicians have been monitored to be maintaining PAGs and keeping cache of firearms.

Pagdilao said the raid on the house of Pagaduan in Barangay Cabiangan in Talugtog Aug. 19 also resulted in the confiscation of an M16 Armalite rifle, three magazines for M16, 51 pieces of bullets for M16, a 9mm pistol, magazines and bullets for the same pistol.

But Pagdilao said the raid on the house of Pagaduan is just one of the series of raids conducted in Nueva Ecija in the past days.

Also raided were the houses of former Vice Mayor Reynaldo Cachuela of Talugtog town and PacificoMonta, former Mayor of the same town.

Only the house of Pagaduan, however, yielded firearms.

Pagdilao said Pagaduan will be charged with illegal possession of firearms as the guns turned out to be not licensed.

Last week, the CIDG also raided three places reportedly owned by political allies of San Antonio town Mayor Alvin Salonga in Nueva Ecija.

The raid resulted to the confiscation of several high powered firearms including M16 rifles.