AWOL Army reservist, 2 others nabbed for alleged sale of guns

A former Philippine Army reservist and two others were arrested for allegedly illegally selling firearms. 

According to Emil Sumangil's exclusive report on "24 Oras" on Friday, the three suspects were arrested in separate operations in Pasig City. 

The police were able to seize a .45 caliber gun and a rifle that the suspects were illegally selling. 

One of the arrested suspects was an Army reservist who has gone absent without leave or AWOL. 

"Napagalaman na natin na isa na pala siyang AWOL na reservist ng Philippine Army. Ang ginagawa nilang transaction is more on online. Napagalaman natin na wala po siyang legal na papeles," said Eastern Police District-District Mobile Force Battalion spokesperson Police Captain Christopher Ian Bugtong.

(We found out that he was an AWOL reservist from the Philippine Army. They often do their transactions online. We also found out that they don’t have legal documents to do this.) 

Meanwhile, one of the suspects was also arrested for stealing a shotgun from a security guard who fell asleep. The authorities were able to trace the suspect because of CCTV footage. 

"It's very important to recover this firearm because it might be used for criminal activities,"  said EPD director Brigadier General Wilson Asueta.

The three suspects did not speak up on the issue. 

The EPD advises the public to legally purchase firearms from authorized dealers. —Vince Ferreras/LDF, GMA Integrated News