BANSALAN, Davao del Sur — Police arrested a 62-year-old retired Philippine Army soldier after he was caught carrying an undocumented firearm at a boundary checkpoint in Barangay Kinuskusan on Friday afternoon, December 12, authorities said.
The suspect, identified only as alias “Nestor,” married and a resident of Purok Avocado, Barangay Kinuskusan, was apprehended around 3:40 p.m. following a report relayed by the Provincial Tactical Operating Center (PTOC) to the Bansalan Municipal Police Station (MPS).
Initial investigation revealed that the incident stemmed from a heated argument between the suspect and a Metro Shuttle bus conductor over bus fare. According to the conductor’s statement, the suspect asked for a ticket and, while opening his sling bag to look for coins, inadvertently exposed a short firearm believed to be a .45 caliber pistol.
Fearing for his safety and that of the passengers, the conductor immediately grabbed and disarmed the suspect. He then alighted from the bus, hired a pedicab, and turned over the firearm—along with an empty magazine—to the nearest police border checkpoint in Barangay Kinuskusan. The bus driver followed and stopped at the same checkpoint moments later.
Shortly thereafter, the suspect disembarked from the bus and approached the checkpoint, where the conductor positively identified him. P/Corporal Floyd G. Gabutero of the Regional Mobile Force Battalion (RMFB) 11 promptly placed the suspect under arrest. During the arrest, the suspect voluntarily surrendered a magazine containing seven (7) live rounds of ammunition.
Police said the suspect was informed of his constitutional rights in a language he understood before being brought to the Bansalan MPS for proper documentation and legal processing.
The suspect is now in police custody and is set to face charges for violation of Republic Act 10591, or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act, for illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.
The Bansalan MPS underscored the incident as a reminder of the importance of strict enforcement of gun laws, particularly in public transport and checkpoint areas, to ensure the safety of commuters and the general public.