POLICE have arrested two members of the military’s elite Philippine Marine Corps for allegedly moonlighting as gun-for-hire during a follow-up operation in Barotac Viejo town of Iloilo.
Chief Supt. John Bulalacao, director of Western Visayas regional police, said the arrest of the two Marie commandos assigned in Mindanao came shortly after they shot dead a businessman.
He identified those arrested as Sgt. Brian Rey Mullot and Corporal Jessie Ensilay, both assigned to the Marine Battalion Landing Team 5 based in Sultan Kudarat.
“We suspect that they are engaged in gun-for-hire activities. They were riding a motorcycle when they attacked the victims,” said Bulalacao.
He said that at around 5 p.m. on Wednesday, two motorcycle-riding gunmen shot two people on board an Elf truck in Barangay Poblacion in Barotac Viejo.
The target of the attack was a certain Joren Banas who is reportedly a businessman. The truck was being driven by his helper Pebe Barabona.
But the gunmen was surprised when Barabona retaliated using the gun of Banas. Barabona was able to hit Ensilay.
Bulalacao said Banas was declared dead in the nearby hospital while Ensilay was taken to the Barotac Viejo District Hospital where he is currently being guarded by the police.
Bulalacao said responding policemen were able to arrest the two soldiers.
Seized from Ensilay were a .45 pistol, identification cards, mission orders, acknowledgement receipt of equipment (ARE), camouflage mask and cellphone.
Mullot, on the other hand, yielded a .45 pistol, a mission order, acknowledgement receipt of equipment (ARE), and assorted identification cards.
Bulalacao said the arrest of the two soldiers was a result of his order to all police commanders to be proactive in solving cases perpetrated by motorcycle-riding criminals other than being alert against possible Communist Terrorist Group attacks.
Bulalacao said he had already ordered an investigation to determine why the soldiers engaged in gun-for-hire activities and who hired them to kill Banas. (Aaron Recuenco)
