Barangay kagawad, 4 others arrested in Masbate firearms crackdown

Five armed suspects, including a barangay kagawad, were arrested by the Philippine National Police (PNP) in Aroroy, Masbate, on Monday, 26 October, following a pursuit operation launched in response to reports that residents had been subjected to intimidation.

The PNP identified the suspects as Jerson Vargas, 45; Mamerto Vargas Jr., 32; Robert Vargas, 24; Ivan Guteza, 26; and Alvin Claro, 30.

Police said Jerson is an elected barangay kagawad of Barangay Bat-ongan in Mandaon, Masbate, while Mamerto, Guteza and Claro are Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit Active Auxiliary (CAA) personnel.

The suspects were apprehended at around 5:20 p.m. in Barangay Malubi, Aroroy, after operatives intercepted their motorcycles during a dragnet operation. The operation stemmed from a report that armed men riding motorcycles were harassing a family’s residence in nearby Barangay Sawang.

Acting on the information, personnel of the Aroroy Municipal Police Station (MPS) and Police Regional Office 5 (PRO-5) established tactical checkpoints and launched tracking operations that led to the suspects’ arrest after they allegedly ignored police orders to stop and attempted to flee.

The operation was in line with the directive of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., under the guidance of Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla, to eradicate illegal firearms, clamp down on armed violence and restore peace and order in local communities.

“I commend the swift dragnet operation of PRO-5 and Aroroy MPS for taking these heavily armed individuals off the streets. No elected official, much less force multipliers entrusted with security, stands above the law, and we will hold them fully accountable for endangering innocent civilians,” PNP chief Police General Jose Melencio C. Nartatez Jr. said.

Authorities recovered four .45-caliber pistols, various magazines and ammunition from the group after the suspects failed to present documents authorizing them to possess and carry firearms.

Police records also revealed that Jerson has an extensive criminal history, including previous arrests for murder and violations of Republic Act No. 9516 concerning illegal possession of explosives.

While his previous murder cases in Mandaon and Aroroy were provisionally dismissed or dropped due to a lack of interest from complainants, he remains under preliminary investigation for a June 2026 explosion incident and faces separate murder charges. Entries in the E-Rouge and E-Warrant databases confirmed these prior cases.

Nartatez directed the concerned police units to conduct a thorough investigation into the alleged harassment incident and determine whether other individuals were involved.

He also ordered the verification of the recovered firearms to establish their ownership and registration status and determine whether they had been used in other incidents in the province.

“Elected office and official credentials are privileges meant to serve the public, not shields to intimidate citizens or carry unregistered weapons. The PNP will aggressively hunt down and prosecute anyone who abuses authority or uses illegal firearms to terrorize communities,” Nartatez said.

The five suspects are facing charges for violations of Republic Act No. 10591, or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act. They remain detained at the Aroroy MPS.