BY FELIPE CELINO
ROXAS City — Why was former vice mayor Quiruben Pamplona possessing a range of high-powered firearms and ammunition and turning his house into an armory?
This was the question that Capiz police director, Senior Supt. Domingo Cabillan, posed amid the investigation on the raiding of the former official’s house recently.
Three unidentified people raided the house of Pamplona in Brgy. Siribawan, Dumarao and took with them several high-powered firearms and ammunitions.
Police said the burglars took over the house helps of Pamplona when they entered the residence in the evening of October 25.
They hogtied and plastered the mouths of Rosemarie Francisco; Roxanne Francisco, 15; Angela Alejandria, 29; Sharmaine Francisco, 21; and Anna May Francisco, dragged them to the stockroom and locked them in, police said.
Among the firearms and ammunitions taken away were an M14, two M16s, two carbines, a shotgun and a caliber .45.
The house helps were watching television when the suspects entered the house.
Police said the thieves, clad in camouflage and masks, hurriedly left after taking the firearms.
Cabillan was wondering why Pamplona was in possession of such firearms.
“I don’t know what [are] Pamplona’s agenda,” he said.
According to him, Pamplona actually failed to renew the firearms that he possesses. He said a notice has already been sent to the former vice mayor.
Cabillan said he has also found inconsistencies in the statements of Pamplona.
During the incident, Pamplona was in his other house in Brgy. Poblacion, Dumarao.
When the police made an inspection after the incident, the former vice mayor told them that four firearms were stolen, Cabillan said.
But three days later, Pamplona said eleven firearms were taken away, he said.
Police suspect that the burglars were members of the New People’s Army (NPA).
But the rebel group denied the accusation.
Over dyOW Bombo Radyo the other day, Rojo Silangan, spokesperson of NPA’s Eastern Front Committee, said none of their members barged in the house of Pamplona.
Silangan instead accused Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas of perpetrating the raid to “defeat his political opponents.”
Pamplona is running for vice mayor of Dumarao in the mid-term elections next year under the National Unity Party of former 2nd District representative Fredenil Castro.
The newly deployed Philippine National Police – Special Action Force (PNP-SAF) or the Philippine Army could also be behind the burglary, Silangan said.
But that was impossible, according Cabillan, Capiz police director.
All actions of the PNP-SAF were in coordination with the local police, he stressed.
A close ally of Roxas shrugged off the rebel’s accusation.
The ally, who asked not to be identified for security reasons, said what happened may have been aimed at hiding the firearms with unrenewed licenses.
