Lanao del Norte town mayor, 6 others nabbed for illegal possession of firearms

A mayor from Pantar, Lanao del Norte, was arrested along with six others in a raid in Barangay Sundiga?Punod on Sunday, the military said Monday.

Colonel Romeo Brawner Jr., the spokesman of Joint Task Force Ranao, said a joint law enforcement operation was conducted by the military and police on Sunday around 6 a.m. which resulted to the arrest of Pantar Mayor Jabar Tago along with Janoding Tago, Rehan Gumpal, Abdul Racman Gumpal, Kiram Ampuan, and Nasroding Lao.

Recovered from them were nine high-powered firearms, five pistols, one shotgun, and assorted ammunition.

Mayor Tago and the six others will face charges for violation of Republic Act 10591 or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act and the Commission on Elections gun ban in connection with Monday's Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections.

Brawner said that Jabar, Janoding and one Jamaloding Tago have all pending cases of frustrated murder.

"Si Mayor Jabar Tago, Janoding Tago, and Jamaloding Tago [wanted] for frustrated murder [but] on bail," he said, adding the three are also facing a murder charge in Iligan City." 

Ampuan, meanwhile, was included in the narcotics drug list of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and the Philippine National Police. —Marlly Rome Bondoc/KBK, GMA News