Bureau of Jail Management and Penology  personnel  arrested a woman for allegedly attempting to smuggle   a high-powered firearm and live rounds of ammunition at the Bayawan City jail  in Negros Oriental Tuesday.

Sr. Supt. Edward Carranza,  director of the Philippine National Police in Negros Oriental, identified the suspect as  Teresa  Balungcas,  of  Umod in Maninihon, Bayawan City.

Carranza said the Bayawan City police station received a call from the Bayawan  jail that BJMP personnel  had intercepted a visitor allegedly bringing a firearm into  the facility in  Cabcabon,  Barangay Banga.

Confiscated from the suspect was a KG9-MM sub-machine gun with serial number 879280 with two magazines and 30  rounds of live ammunition of 9-millimeter caliber.

Initial police investigation showed the woman  had  claimed to be a civilian agent of an intelligence unit of the Armed Forces of the Philippines  and was supposed  to visit an inmate at the Bayawan City jail, identified as Jasper “Bobong” Tanasan,  Carranza said.

Further investigation  showed  that around 11:45 a.m.  yesterday,  personnel were conducting routine inspection of incoming visitors  when they found the firearm and ammunition inside the bag of  Balungcas.

 The woman reportedly claimed to be the wife of   M/Sgt. Balungcas of the Philippine Army, and presented two copies of Mission Order  Number 7ISU-CA701-063, dated January 1, 2012, and issued by the Headquarters 7th Regional Intelligence and Security Unit of the Philippine Army in Camp Lapu-lapu, Cebu City.  The M.O. was allegedly issued by  Maj. Hernan  Santos of the Philippine Army.

Verification showed  however that  it does not bear the serial number of the firearm confiscated from Balungcas, which prompted jail authorities to place her under arrest,  Carranza said.*JFP

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