ZAMBOANGA CITY (Mindanao Examiner / July 6, 2013) – Zamboanga police authorities have seized weapons issued to two policemen who were bodyguards of a municipal mayor in Basilan province in southern Philippines, officials said.
Chief Inspector Ariel Huesca, a regional police spokesman, said the weapons – one M16 rifle and a .45-caliber pistol issued to PO2 Nasser Jul-Asri and an M16A1 rifle with grenade launcher issued to PO1 Darwin Darong – have no proper documents.
Huesca said both policemen were bodyguards of Mayor Jamar Mansul, of Hadji Mutamad town. “The firearms were without any pertinent papers to present and forwarded to regional crime laboratory for ballistic examination,” he said.
Jul-asri and Darong were with the politician and other people traveling in a van that was chased by policemen.
Senior Superintendent Jose Chiquito Mayo, the local chief of police, was roving around Zamboanga when they intercepted the van for violating traffic laws, but it sped away prompting them to chase the and eventually caught up with the vehicle, according to Huesca.
Huesca said the weapons were discovered during an inspection of the vehicle. (Mindanao Examiner)
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