A man was arrested for operating an illegal gun manufacturing shop in Danao City, based on a search warrant served by the Provincial Intelligence Unit of the Cebu Police Provincial Office (CPPO). The operation took place in Sitio Gondayang, Barangay Masaba, Danao City.
Search Warrant Details
The search warrant was served at 11:35 p.m. on Saturday, May 16, 2026, and concluded at 5:00 a.m. on Sunday, May 17, 2026. The subject of the warrant, Marjone Batoon Castro, 38, was apprehended.
Items Seized
Police confiscated three shotguns, a caliber .45 pistol, magazines, ammunition, and shotgun shells. Additionally, various tools used for gun manufacturing were seized, including metal firearms patterns, a bench vice, metal pile, hand drill, bench grinder, heavy-duty welding machine, and others.
Background of the Operation
The CPPO received information about Castro's continuous gun-making activities, prompting them to apply for a search warrant. The warrant was issued by Judge Ma. Josefa Pinza-Ramos, Executive Judge of RTC Branch 90 in Danao City, on May 14, 2026.
Following the warrant's issuance, the Provincial Intelligence Unit formed a team led by Police Lieutenant Noel Bautista under the command of Police Colonel Abubakar Mangelen Jr. The operation resulted in Castro's arrest. Initial investigation by the CPPO revealed that Castro had been manufacturing guns for a long time as his livelihood.
