1 month ago
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ILOILO CITY — The Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) said one of the firearms recovered from a vehicle involved in a crash on Jan. 12, 2025, was registered to the wife of the late Melvin Odicta Sr., who was linked by the police to the illegal drug trade in Western Visayas.
The driver, identified as Ryan Anthony Soliva, was arrested after his Toyota Hilux plowed through rice cake (bibingka) stalls in Barangay Seminario in Jaro during the first day of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) gun ban.
ICPO director Col. Kim Legada police said firearms and ammunition recovered inside Soliva's vehicle include a.380-caliber Walther Smith & Wesson pistol registered under the name Merriam Regalado Odicta.
The license for the firearm expired on Dec. 17, 2019, raising questions about its current ownership and use.
Merriam and her husband, Melvin, were murdered on Aug. 28, 2016, in Caticlan, Aklan.
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The couple were shot by a lone gunman when they disembarked from a roll-on, roll-off vessel. Merriam was reportedly hit in the back and died shortly after, while Melvin was also fatally shot after being handcuffed by police.
Melvin was tagged by the police as a suspected drug lord, known as "Dragon" operating in Western Visayas. He was included in the list of suspected drug personalities by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in 2015.
Authorities also seized a Smith & Wesson Springfield 9 mm caliber pistol with an expired license and an unregistered Armalite M15A2 rifle from Soliva's possession.
Legada revealed that Soliva was previously involved in a 2018 raid in Butuan City in Agusan del Norte where authorities seized firearms and grenades from him.
His brother, Clint Soliva, a high-value target, remains at large after escaping a similar raid in Jaro.
The ICPO is investigating how the firearm ended up in Soliva's possession and whether it indicates deeper ties to the region's drug trade.
Formal charges have been filed against Soliva for violations of Republic Act 10591 or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act, the Comelec gun ban, and reckless imprudence resulting in damage to property and physical injuries.
He was arrested after failing to present documents exempting him from the gun ban.
Soliva remains detained at the Jaro Police Station while awaiting the court's decision on his bail petition.
