MALAYBALAY CITY – Authorities seized several firearms and dried marijuana leaves following a raid on the house of the incumbent village chief of Barangay Dominorog, Talakag town in Bukidnon Thursday.
Senior Insp. Jiselle Ester Lou M. Longakit, information officer of Bukidnon Police Provincial Office (BPPO), on Friday said the raiding team arrested Dominorog Barangay Chairperson Joel Valendez in his residence at the village around 9:30 a.m.
Valendez, 69, was the subject of at least two search warrants for illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, as well as explosives, Longakit said.
Valendez was arrested by a joint team of local police and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) personnel along with his nephews, identified as incumbent Brgy. Kagawad Benoni Valendez, Jr., 35, and Ardine Jay Valendez, 34.
Longakit said the barangay official has long been suspected of leading a crime group engaged in gun for hire, extortion, and gun-running activities.
Law enforcers said they recovered from Valendez two 12 GA shotgun, a cal. 40 Glock pistol, fragmentary delay M61 grenade, three steel magazine assemblies of cal. 45 pistol, 29 live ammunition of cal. 40 pistol, 36 live cartridges of 12 GA shotgun, and firearms holsters.
They also recovered from Benoni Valendez an improvised shotgun, 16 live ammunitions for shotgun, M1 Garand riffle, three live ammunitions for M1 Garand rifle, M203 grenade, and a sling bag.
Ardine Jay Valendez, meanwhile, yielded a 12GA shotgun, fragmentation hand grenade, and three cellophane packs containing suspected dried leaves of marijuana.
Supt. Lemuel Gonda, Police Regional Office-10 spokesperson, said the CIDG submitted all recovered evidence to the provincial prosecutor’s office Friday.
Aside from being a barangay official, Gonda said Joel Valendez is the head of Western Bukidnon Academy, Inc. in Dominorog, a private school that offers pre-school, elementary and secondary school levels.
Late last year, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) discussed his alleged involvement in a multi-million land scam in Talakag town.
Valendez and his nephews are being detained at the CIDG regional headquarters in Cagayan de Oro City. (Mel B. Madera/PNA)
