Paracelis town b’gay chief arrested for illegal firearm

PARACELIS, Mountain Province -- Police arrested a village chairman here last week for illegal possession of firearm.

Police said that NarcisoBalnao, chairman of Barangay Butigue, was arrested for illegal possession of a .45 pistol.

Police said Balnao was on board a Honda wave motorcycle and was about to cross the checkpoint when accosted.

The checkpoint was part of the police's nationwide drive against loose firearms.

Butigue is among the villages in Paracelis town, in Eastern Mt. Province being watched for poll-related violence after a history of rivalries resulting to shootings in the past.

This as the Cordillera police led by the Chief Supt. Benjamin Magalong appealed for help in campaign against loose firearms.

Recently, a live rifle grenade was surrendered to the police in Barangay Gaddani, Tayum town, Abra province last Oct. 21.

Barangay tanods found the grenade while patrolling along Abra-Kalinga National Road.

Also, village chairman Dick Mallare, also from Tayum, Abra voluntarily surrendered to the police one homemade cal. 22 revolver, two homemade (12 GA) shotguns, and five rounds of live ammunition for caliber 50 machine gun.

On that same date, Bucloc town, also in Abra, policemen recovered two homemade gauge shotguns, 12 shotguns without serial numbers and ammunition while conducting foot patrol at the boundary of Bucloc and Sallapadan towns.