Three gun-for-hire suspects arrested in Laguna

May 30, 2018

Police arrested three gun-for-hire suspects in the province of Laguna on Tuesday.

Chief Supt. Guillermo Lorenzo Eleazar, Calabarzon Regional Police director, said arrested were Rodolfo Bombilla Virterbo, 31, Christopher Pasco Penaflor, 40, and Ferdinand Lasam Lapuz, 37, all residents of San Pablo City.

He said authorities were conducting buy-bust operation when they have arrested the suspects at Barangay I-C, San Pablo City Laguna around 5:30 pm.

Eleazar said during the operation authorities recovered illegal drugs, cash, firearms  and  other war materials from the suspects.

“Said operation resulted in the arrest of the following suspects after confiscation of eight pieces plastic sachet of suspected shabu weighing more or less three grams with estimated street value of P 15,000, several drug paraphernalia, two cal .45 Remington and Armscor, 21 pieces live ammunition for cal. 45, three pieces magazine for cal. 45, one hand grenade, and P 2,080 recovered money, including the buy-bust money used,” he said.

Cases for violation of 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002), Violation of RA 10591 and RA 9516 (Illegal Possession of Firearms and Explosives) will be filed against the suspects.

Eleazar added that according to intelligence reports, the suspects were involved in gun-for-hire activities in San Pablo City.

“One of which was the shooting incident (which) transpired at about 2:50 in the morning of December 15, 2017 in Lopez Jaena St., where victim identified as Peter Villamin Brinas, vendor, resident of Brgy VII-A, San Pablo City,” he said.

“Another shooting incident happened at about 6:00 am of March 3, 2018 in Brgy II-A, San Pablo City where victim was identified as Rosano Panopio Gamit, vendor, resident of Brgy Lalig, Tiaong, Quezon,” he added.

Eleazar said based on reports the killing could be associated with illegal drugs transactions.

“Firearms will be subjected for ballistic examination by the PNP Crime Lab to determine if these were used in these mentioned killings and in other killings within San Pablo and even to other parts of the region,” he said. Robina Asido/DMS