By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) operatives from Manila yesterday raided the home of Senior Police Officer 1 (SPO1) Joshua Barile, an active duty police officer and member of the Regional Command Security Unit (RCSU).

A search of the residence, located at Regent Pearl Homes Subdivision 2, Barangay Alijis, Bacolod City, yielded several high-powered firearms, including an M16 rifle, shotguns, an M4 assault rifle, .45 caliber pistols, an Ingram sub-machine gun; along with three grenades.

Agents also recovered numerous rounds of ammunition for different caliber of firearms, including a sachet of suspected shabu.

The officer had previously been implicated as a main suspect in the killings of Wilmar and Wilfredo Serenio, the brother and father, respectively, of former Berya drug group member Ricky Serenio.

The NBI had since secured a search warrant against Barile.

Meanwhile, the police officer denied all allegations and claimed the firearms were turned over to his custody by the court, however, he brought them home instead of the police vault, saying the facility was full.

Additionally, he denied the grenade and the suspected drugs belonged to him./DGB, WDJ