Guns, grenades found as cops raid house of couple in viral video

Police on Friday morning raided two properties owned by the couple who were caught on CCTV hitting barangay traffic enforcers during an altercation earlier this month, GMA News' Emil Sumangil reported on Unang Balita.

Armed with a search warrant issued by the Makati City Regional Trial Court, the police raided two two-storey residential properties inside an exclusive subdivision in the city reportedly belonging to Arnold Aquino Padilla.

A report by Super Radyo dzBB's Mark Makalalad later in the morning said the police raided Padilla's house and an apartment unit across the street where his bodyguards stay.

Padilla, his live-in partner and bodyguards hit the headlines recently after they were caught on CCTV verbally and physically abusing the traffic enforcers who flagged them down over an alleged traffic violation.

The CCTV footage, taken on the afternoon of August 13 at the corner of Gate 1 of Magallanes Village and EDSA, has since gone viral.

Friday's raid reportedly yielded firearms and explosives that the couple claimed were planted by the police.

The explosives were reportedly placed inside two canisters that were found inside a cabinet in the pantry of one of the houses.

Padilla, however, admitted to owning the two pistols seized by the raiding team and that they were properly licensed.

In an interview on Dobol B sa News TV, National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief Director Guillermo Eleazar, who was present during the raid, said among the items seized from Padilla's house were a shotgun and two grenades.

The couple's lawyer, Raymond Fortun, arrived at the scene to have a dialogue with the raiding team.

Case build-up

Eleazar said even before the video of the mauling went viral, the police have been conducting a case build-up against Padilla.

"Gusto nating linawin na before nag-viral [yung video], na nagkaroon ng situation, na sinuntok ng mga security guards niya yung mga traffic enforcers, may case buildup tayo dahil sa mga report na meron siyang armas at nananakot," he said.

Eleazar said the case buildup followed the revocation of Padilla's license to possess firearms in April after the suspect allegedly submitted fake drug test results.

"Napag-alaman natin na as early as April pala na-revoke na ang kanyang mga lisensya kasi nag-submit siya ng fake drug test result nung mag-aapply siya ng license to possess firearms," he said.

Eleazar said based on records Padilla owns at least five firearms.

Long list of complaints

Earlier reports said Barangay Magallanes records showed that the August 13 incident was just the latest in the long list of blotter complaints recorded against Padilla, his wife and his bodyguards.

In a blotter entry dated April 30, 2015, a village security guard narrated that Padilla spat at him, insulted and threatened him when he responded to a commotion that involved Padilla’s group in the village.

Aside from village guards, barangay officials also noted several threats issued by Padilla and his group against fellow residents.

Arnold Padilla was a primary suspect in the death of his sister Yvonne Chua, who died after a “gift” which contained five hand grenades exploded in her residence in Taguig on December 29, 2010. Her six-year-old child was also wounded in the incident.

Arnold Padilla’s cousin, Manuel, pointed to Arnold and his mother as the brains behind the murder—an allegation that they denied. —KBK, GMA News