Cops arrest man carrying a gun near Marikina cemetery

MANILA, Philippines – Marikina police apprehended a man carrying a gun near the gate of the Loyola Memorial Park on All Saints’ Day, Thursday, November 1. 

Guns and other firearms are among the items banned in cemeteries during Undas.

Police invited Patrick Robert Paz for questioning after they noticed he had a gun tucked in his pants while he was tending their flower shop near the entrance of Loyola Marikina.

Around 2:30 pm, Paz confronted the driver of a service vehicle of the Marikina Office of Public Safety and Security (OPSS) because it was parked in front of their shop. It was during the argument that the police spotted Paz’s pistol. 

Marikina police chief Senior Superintendent Roger Quesada said Paz was manning their family flower shop, where their house was also situated. 

Quesada said: “According to his father, Paz is a pilot in Thailand, and just got back in the country.” 

The father also told the police that their family were robbery victims in the past. This was the reason why his son was armed with a gun, said the father.

Quesada added that Paz has already submitted to the police his gun license and they were still “verifying his Permit to Carry Firearms.” – Rappler.com