House committee on public order & safety summons

businessman Isidro Lozada, main player in missing firearms

The House committee on public order and safety has approved the summon of
businessman Isidro Lozada, owner of Caraga Security Agency and the ey figure in the
missing !,""# firearms which he bought from guns dealer Twin $ines, Inc% and allegedly
sold to the &ew $eople's Army (&$A)%
In a recent hearing conducted by the committee chaired by *ep% +effrey ,errer (#
th
-istrict, &egros .ccidental), the panel approved the motion raised by *ep% /en 0vardone
(Lone -istrict, 0astern Samar) to summon Lozada after the businessman failed to appear
twice in its hearings on the missing firearms%
1If this is the second time that we sent an invitation and still, it appears that 2r%
Lozada refuses to comply, I would move 2r% Chairman that we issue a subpoena to
compel him to appear before this committee,3 said 0vardone whose motion was readily
seconded by members of the committee%
0vardone and the panel members re4ected the re5uest of Lozada's lawyer, Atty%
+udito Ladera, for the non6appearance of the businessman in the committee hearing%
1This committee should not be barred from inviting 2r% Lozada 4ust because he has
a pending case% This committee is clothed with plenary powers,3 said 0vardone%
In a letter sent to ,errer, Ladera said Lozada couldn't attend the +uly !!, 7"!#
hearing per the panel's invitation since he is already facing criminal charges before the
.ffice of the City $rosecutor of 8uezon City for illegal possession of firearms% Ladera
said the case is also the sub4ect matter of House *esolution 997, which sees an in5uiry
into the missing firearms issue%
Ladera further said Lozada already appeared before the fact6finding committee of
the $hilippine &ational $olice 6 Criminal Investigation and -etection :roup (CI-:)
relative to the firearms issue%
*ep% Samuel $agdilao ($arty6list, ACT6CIS), a committee vice chairman, said if
Lozada will not show up in the ne;t committee hearing despite the summon, then 1he will
be subpoenaed under pain of arrest%3
1His presence is very important% He is the meat of this controversy% He bought the
high6powered A<#9s and accordingly sold them to the &$A% =e want to establish the
factual basis of this allegation straight from him and the circumstances surrounding the
NR # 3512C
JUNE 29, 2014
transactions both with respect to the purchase from the guns dealer,Twin $ines, Inc% and
the sale to the &$A of !,""# high6powered firearms,3 said $agdilao, a lawyer and former
CI-: -irector%
,errer ased CI-: -irector /en4amin 2agalong whether the case on illegal
possession of firearms filed against Lozada was related to the missing firearms issue%
2agalong said they have not filed any case against Lozada%
However, upon clarification of *ep% Celso Lobregat (!
st
-istrict, >amboanga City)
on who filed the illegal possession of firearms case against Lozada, the committee learned
this was done by $olice Supt% -anilo 2acerin, who is now assigned at the CI-:6&ational
Capital *egion%
In a news briefing at Camp Crame last +une ?, 7"!#, CI-: -irector /en4amin
2agalong said based on the statements and unsigned affidavit of Lozada, the !,""#
firearms were allegedly sold to the &$A by the businessman% He said Lozada duped police
officials into believing that the guns were to be delivered to private security agencies of
mining companies in 2indanao%
Calling Lozada 1the main player of the operation,3 2agalong said it was only the
businessman who facilitated the sale and licensing of the guns% 1This is the handiwor of
4ust one man% It was 2r% Lozada who facilitated the licensing and at the same time sold
the guns,3 he said%
According to 2agalong, Lozada claimed the money for the firearms' purchase
came from the &$As and he directly gave it to Twin $ines% The CI-: chief said there is
no evidence that $&$ officials earned money from the transaction% 12r% Lozada did not
deal directly with any ,irearms and 0;plosives .ffice (,0.) personnel% The CI-: has no
evidence showing $&$ officials earned money from the transaction,3 said 2agalong%
The !,""# firearms are not owned by the $&$ or the government% All !,""#
firearms were imported and initially owned by guns dealer Twin $ines, Inc% until these
were bought by Lozada who in turn illegally resold these to the &$A%
2eanwhile, the $&$6,0. is not a firearms dealer% It only acts as the repository of
all firearms imported by dealers and those manufactured locally until these are sold and
eventually licensed to buyers or applicants% The ,0. also processes application for
firearms license and maintains records of all firearms sold by dealers and those registered
to individuals and 4uridical entities%
Servando Topacio, president and general manager of Twin $ines Inc% said all their
7@ transactions with Lozada for the !,""# firearms were for four companies namely,
Caraga Security Agency, Isla Security Agency, +TC 2ineral 2ining Corp% and Claver
2ineral -evelopment Corp%
Topacio told lawmaers that only Lozada dealt with Twin $ines in its /utuan City
branch, presenting himself as the owner and security provider for Caraga Security
AgencyA security provider for +TC 2ineral 2ining Corp%A security provider for Claver
2ineral -evelopment Corp%A and part owner of Isla Security Agency%
The licensing of the firearms was applied with the ,0. by Twin $ines in the names
of these four 4uridical entities% After getting the firearms from Twin $ines in /utuan City,
Lozada allegedly sold and delivered these to the &$A, in a clear act of deception and at
the e;pense of government authorities and agencies that licensed the firearms for the four
4uridical entities% 2agalong said Lozada duped police officials into believing that the guns
were to be delivered to private security agencies of mining companies in 2indanao% (@")
mrs