By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

The son of recently-captured drug lord Arturo Balume, Sr., along with three others, were brought up on illegal drugs and illegal firearm possession charges over the weekend.

Police identified the four suspects as Arturo Balume, Jr., Hany Grace Balume, Pamela Balume, and Ryan Cainglet.

Hinoba-an municipal police said the suspects were brought to the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office and were formally charged in violation of RA 9165, the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002; and RA 10591, the Illegal Possession of Firearms and Ammunition.

The three additional suspects were charged for conspiracy, as they were in the vehicle when cops served the elder Balume his arrest warrant.

Balume and his son were arrested last week in Hinoba-an after combined operatives of the Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO) and the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (NOPPO) tracked him down.

Following his arrest, the elder Balume affirmed links to two Iloilo mayors, former Sara Mayor Neptali Salcedo and incumbent Estancia Mayor Rene Cordero.

IPPO director, Police Senior Superintendent Marlon Tayaba, said Balume is wanted for the murders of Ronaldo Estandarte and Roberto Magarso, bodyguards for Cordero’s opponent in the previous mayoral election.

The IPPO chief also believes Balume is acting as a drug runner and overseeing a gun-for-hire operation in Negros Occidental.

The elder Balume has since been transferred back to Iloilo to face his criminal case./DGB, WDJ