10 armed men from La Union nabbed in Bataan

‘Land grabbing, drug syndicate’

By MydsSupnad 

Police are now probing 10 armed men, all natives of La Union,  who were arrested last week in the coastal and remote Sitio Lusong, Barangay Biaan, Mariveles in Bataan whether they belonged to a drug syndicate or land-grabbing gang that is financed by a wealthy businessman.

Land-grabbing “business” in Bataan, police said,  is a multi-million “monkey business” by unscrupulous individuals, some of whom are not residents in the province, who were able to enrich themselves by reselling government lands they forcibly and illegally occupied through armed goons.     

Senior Supt. Rhodel Sermonia, Bataan police director, presented to newsmen the arrested 10 armed men following their arrest during buy-bust operation. 

Arrested were   Omar Anomin, 45 of Burgos town; Artemio Carreon , 45 of Poblacion West, Rosario; Eduardo Macabio, 36 of Namonitan, Sto. Tomas; Mario Macabio, 35  of Bani, Rosario; Josefino Palanon, 46 of San Gabriel town; Eric Dulay, 35 of San Gabriel; Rolando Sarazon of Salangsang, San Gabriel; Erwin Espino, 23 of Namonitan, Sto. Tomas; Mark Brian Peralta of, 25, of Katagintingan, Rosario; and Leonardo de Guzman, 37 of Naguillian town, all  in the province of La Union.

Sermonia said around 9:30 morning of Dec. 10, they conducted  buy-bust operation that  initially resulted to the arrest of two suspects- Anomin and Carreon.

Sermonia told newsmen, before the arrest of the two, Carreon sensed the presence of other policemen and instantly fled towards their hideout, prompting police to give chase.

Sermonia  and his men followed the suspect and swooped down on their hideout, a shanty, and arrested Carreon inside.

The raiding team then chanced upon a group of eight persons who were caught sniffing shabu inside the shanty, and also arrested them.

Sermonia said the operation resulted to confiscation of four guns, including an M16 rifle loaded with 26 bullets, three Cal. 45 pistols with bullets, 17 spare bullets for caliber 45 and one spent shell for carbine.

Also confiscated from the suspects were seven sachets of shabu, four sachets of marijuana leaves and several drug paraphernalia.

During their presentation to newsmen, the suspects claimed that their boss are one Rodel and Dumpit, a prominent name in La Union who, newsmen learned, owns a wide area of lands in Bataan, most of which have been sold to unsuspecting bigtime buyers, amounting to hundreds of millions of pesos.

Sermonia said 10 more other armed men eluded arrest and are now the subject of manhunt by the police.

Prior to their arrest, Sermonia said they received complaints from nearby residents about the suspects’ activities such as using drug and threatening their neighbors in their bid to show force inside their illegally-occupied lands.