By MARTIN SADONGDONG
POLICE teams recovered firearms and explosives when they searched the house owned by a man seen in a viral video engaging traffic enforcers in a heated altercation in Makati City, National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief Director Guillermo Eleazar announced yesterday.
Armed with a search warrant, members of NCRPO Regional Special Operations Unit (NCRPO-RSOU) and Makati City Police swooped down on the houses of Arnold Padilla on San Antonio Street in Magallanes Village, Makati City, around 7 a.m.
Eleazar said they seized a shotgun, a .45-caliber pistol, and two grenades in one of Padilla’s houses.
“Dalawa kasi ang bahay niyang magkatabi so palipat-lipat sila d’yan pati ang security niya. Initially, may na-recover na tayong caliber .45, shotgun at dalawang hand grenade,” said Eleazar.
However, Padilla and his live-in partner, Glocel Razon, claimed the guns have licenses and denied owning grenades.
“Tinanim po iyan. Hindi sa amin ‘yan. ‘Yan na nga ba ang sinasabi ko eh, tataniman po ‘yan,” Padilla said as he claimed that they were forced to go out of their house during the search.
“I-check po natin sa CCTV, may CCTV kami. Itinaas po nila, binago nila ang anggulo,” Razon added.
Eleazar denied that the cops altered several CCTV cameras and planted the grenades that were found in the pantry of one of Padilla’s houses.
“Ganyan naman ang sinasabi ng lahat nang nahuhuli natin – na pinaplantahan ng ebidensya pero hindi naman,” he said.
Padilla was placed under arrest for violation of Republic Act 10591 or illegal possession of firearms and Republic Act 9156 or illegal possession of explosives, a non-bailable offense.
However, when cops were about to send him to Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City, he requested for medical assistance due to chest pains.
After receiving treatment, Padilla was subjected to documentation at the NCRPO headquarters in preparation for the filing of charges against him.
TOUGHIE
Padilla and Razon were recently featured in a viral video showing them confronting two traffic enforcers in Makati City who flagged them down for beating the red light. The incident happened last week.
Makati police said Padilla cursed and spit at the two traffic enforcers while Razon hit the enforcers. Three bodyguards then followed the couple and simultaneously attacked the enforcers, the police added.
Eleazar, however, said the viral incident did not trigger the implementation of a search warrant against the suspects. He said they have been receiving reports that Padilla was a toughie in their neighborhood.
“Mayroon na siyang case even before that na may illegal possession of firearms nga. Accordingly, dito sa Barangay Magallanes, may at least 30 complaints na laban sa kanya for various offenses including harassment ng mga kapitbahay,” he added.
He said they learned from the PNP’s Firearms and Explosive Office (FEO) that the firearms license of Padilla was revoked in April 2018. This was confirmed by PNP-FEO director Chief Superintendent Valeriano de Leon.
De Leon said Padilla applied for a license to own and possess a firearm (LTOPF) in 2015 and it was approved.
However, he said they discovered that he submitted a fake result of a drug test which is a necessary requirement before an applicant could get a firearms license.
“’Yung ating Firearms License Revocation and Restoration Board was immediately activated upon the disclosure of fake drug test that was submitted to us long ago. So his license was immediately revoked in April 2018,” De Leon said.
GIFT BOMB
The NCRPO chief added that Padilla and his mother, Arlene, were previously charged with murder and frustrated murder after they allegedly sent a “gift bomb” to his sister Yvonne Geraldine Padilla-Chua, in December 2010.
Yvonne died while another one was hurt in the said incident.
“We will also review that but this operation is distinct and separate from that case,” Eleazar pointed out.