Police seized firearms, grenades, and several ammunitions during a raid at the residence of a Makati City businessman, who was featured in a viral video showing him and his wife beating a traffic enforcer in Barangay Magallanes.
The authorities also placed Arnold Padilla, 41, and his bodyguard Alfie Ortiz, 33, under arrest following the Friday morning police operation based on search warrants issued by Makati City Regional Trial Court Judge Elmo Alameda.
Elements of the National Capital Region Police Office served the search warrants at house numbers 18 and 23 along San Antonio Street in Magallanes Village.
The confiscated items include one .45-cal Glock 21, one 12-Gauge shotgun, two MK2 hand grenades and various gun live ammunition and magazines.
Padilla said the seized firearms have proper documents but he said that the grenades were planted by the policemen.
Padilla and Ortiz were brought to the NCRPO headquarters in Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City. But the businessman was later rushed to St. Luke’s Hospital for medical attention.
Padilla and his partner were caught on closed-circuit television camera showing them verbally and physically abusing a traffic enforcer who flagged them down over an alleged traffic violation at the corner of Gate 1 of Magallanes Village and Epifanio de los Santos Avenue on Aug. 13.
NCRPO chief Guillermo Eleazar said his men sought the issuance of a search warrant against Padilla not because of the video that gone viral on social media, but because of the revocation of Padilla’s license to possess firearms.
Padilla will be charged with violation of Republic Act 10591 (Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulations Act of 2013) before the Makati City prosecutors office.
Padilla’s legal counsel Raymond Fortun said they will file a counter complaint against the raiding policemen. He added they have video evidence showing two of the policemen made an unlawful act.
Padilla, who was reported to be suffering from high blood pressure was later brought to the hospital for treatment.
According to a radio report, Padilla was rushed to St. Luke’s Medical Center in Bonifacio Global City in Taguig City after his blood pressure shot up while in Camp Bagong Diwa.
The police said Padilla would be brought back to Camp Bagong Diwa once his condition normalizes.
According to Fortun, his client’s blood pressure shot up to 240/160 while he was at the Regional Special Operations Unit of the National Capital Region Police Office.