A barangay chairman in Bukidnon was arrested by a police and military team in a law enforcement operation on Friday morning.

Capt. Joe Patrick Martinez, Army's 4th Infantry Division spokesman, identified the arrested suspect as Eliazar Ebona, the chairman of Brgy Gango, Libona town.

Ebona was arrested by a team from Martial Law-Special Action Group for illegal possession of firearms during the implementation of search warrant at his own resident in Brgy. Gango around 7 am.

"The operation was launched after the court issued a search warrant for alleged illegal possession of firearms used by Ebona to threaten his constituents asking them not to interfere on his alleged illegal mining activities in the area," Martinez said.

Among the recovered war materials from Ebona include one M16 rifle with ammunition, one AK47 rifle with ammunition, three m22 rifle with ammunition, one cal 45 pistol with ammo, one 9mm pistol with ammo, one kevlar, one vest and an estimated five kilograms of suspected amonium nitrate.

"Ebona is now in the custody of CIDG ( Criminal Investigation and Detection Group) (Region) 10 for violation of RA 10591 and for violation of RA 9516," saiid Martinez.

"This successful Martial Law-Special Action Group operation is part of the Martial Law implementation, anti-criminality campaign, and to stop the proliferation of loose firearms within the 4th ID area," he said. Robina Asido/DMS