CLARK FREEPORT – Police operatives on Friday confiscated a cache of firearms and ammunition at a raid conducted in one of the exclusive villas situated at the Fontana Resort and Casino complex in Mabalacat, Pampanga.
The law enforcers were acting on intelligence tips indicating the villa was being occupied by a suspected criminal gang leader.
Chief Inspector Rommel Labalan, Provincial Chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), identified one of the alleged occupants at No. 643 Rose Garden Avenue, Fontana Villa, as one Edilberto del Carmen, alias Angel Ferdinand Marcos, alleged leader of the so-called Del Carmen criminal gang.
Labalan said that another person, identified as Umberto Varagnolo, an Italian, who had introduced himself as “UN Ambassador to the Philippines”, was arrested at the Pampanga CIDG office after he attempted to intervene in the investigation against Marcos.
Varagnolo is facing an obstruction of justice offense, said Labalan.
The raid was conducted on the strength of a search warrant issued by Judge Ana Marie C. Joson-Viterbo of the Cabanatuan City Regional Trial Court for illegal possession of firearms and ammunition offenses.
Marcos, who was accompanied by legal counsel, was brought to Pampanga CIDG together with the confiscated items, mostly high powered firearms, explosives and ammunition.
The items, Labalan said, were found in one of the rooms of the villa. These include five hand grenade, three “Baby Armalite” rifles, a Colt M4 caliber 5.56 rifle, sniper rifle, sub-machine gun, a caliber .22 pistol, a Magnum 357 revolver and assorted ammunition for the various firearms confiscated.
In his report to Supt. Lito Patay, officer-in-charge 3rd Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (3CIDG), stationed at Camp Olivas, Labalan said that the group headed by Marcos was placed under surveillance following reports of their alleged involvement in a string of unlawful activities in Angeles City and other areas in Central Luzon.
“We have been receiving complaints from hotel owners and establishments along the entertainment strip in Angeles City, and also from Clark Freeport, of the group’s activities, prompting us to monitor them,” said Labalan.
Marcos and Varagnolo are detained at the Pampanga CIDG detention cell pending the filing of criminal cases in court against them.