By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Senior Police Officer 1 (SPO1) Joshua Barile, a member of the Regional Command Security Unit (RCSU), whose home was raided last week by National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) operatives, where firearms and explosives were uncovered, claimed a “powerful and influential” individual from southern Negros was behind the raid.

Barile explained the “powerful person” is pursuing him after a police team, which he was a part of, raided the individual’s mansion five years ago.

NBI-Manila operatives, armed with a search warrant issued by Executive Judge Reynaldo Alhambra of the Manila Regional Trial Court-Branch 53, assisted by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and Regional Public Safety Battalion-18 (RPSB-18), raided Barile’s home at the Regent Pearl Subdivision in Barangay Alijis, Bacolod City.

Authorities recovered 31 assorted guns, including M16 and AK47 assault rifles; four hand grenades; magazines of assorted firearms; two vintage bombs; more than 1,000 rounds of assorted ammunition; and a sachet of suspected shabu.

Witnesses indicated an NBI operative allegedly pointed a gun at Barile and pushed him into his house.

The officer denied owning the grenade and the suspected shabu, which he believes were “planted” by two individuals he identified as former “assets,” who served when Barile was with Regional Intelligence Unit-6.

He said the two former police assets are now nowhere to be found since seeing them at the raid.

Barile is currently facing murder charges for the killing of Wilmar and Wilfredo Serenio, the brother and father, respectively, of former Berya drug group member Ricky Serenio.

Following the raid, he was brought to the Bacolod City Hall of Justice last Saturday and faces charges of illegal possession of firearms, ammunition, and explosives, as well as possession of illegal drugs./DGB, WDJ