By CESAR JOLITO III

A government employee was arrested after police seized an unlicensed .45 caliber pistol during a search warrant operation in Negros Occidental’s Hinigaran town, as authorities intensified their crackdown on loose firearms.

Police arrested 45-year-old alias “Panoy,” an employee of the Hinigaran Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office at Barangay Bato’s Sitio Maasin in the town on Tuesday, February 24.

Seized during the operation were a chrome-finished Colt MK IV Series 80 .45 caliber pistol, one magazine assembly, and three rounds of live ammunition.

Police said the search warrant was issued following a report from a concerned citizen alleging that the suspect had brandished a firearm and threatened to kill.

Surveillance and firearms verification later confirmed that the suspect was not a licensed firearm holder.

The recovered items were inventoried on-site using alternative recording devices.

“Panoy” remains in police custody pending the filing of appropriate charges.

Intoxicated

Meanwhile, police also arrested another suspect in a separate search warrant operation in Talisay City’s Barangay Zone 4-A on Monday, February 23.

The suspect, 49-year-old alias “Chris,” was arrested after residents reported that he had been recklessly brandishing a firearm in public while intoxicated in Purok Gahiliusa.

During the operation, authorities recovered a .38 caliber revolver without a serial number and four rounds of live ammunition.

“Chris” was likewise not a licensed firearm holder, based on firearm verification.

The operations were carried out by the Police Regional Office in the Negros Island Region, which said the twin arrests highlight its firm resolve to enforce firearm laws and remove illegal weapons from communities.

PRO-NIR reiterated its call for public cooperation, stressing that timely reports from residents remain crucial in preventing threats to public safety and maintaining peace and order across the Negros Island Region./CJ, WDJ