MANILA, Philippines - Police have arrested the former provincial police chief of Maguindanao on Sunday allegedly for illegal possession of high-powered firearms.

Former superintendent Piang Adam Sr. was nabbed after a search on his house and farm in Barangay Katico in President Quirino town in Sultan Kudarat province.

The search allegedly yielded 2 M16 Armalite rifles, 2 grenades and magazines loaded with bullets.

The search was conducted by elements of the Criminal Investigation Detection Group of Region 12 based on a warrant issued by Kidapawan City Regional Trial Court Executive Judge Francis Palmones Jr..

Adam reportedly retired May 8, 2009 and his last post was as provincial police director of Maguindanao province.

Inspector Jesson Mocnangan, the police official who led the search operation, said however that their operation was separate from the investigation on the gruesome massacre in Maguindanao province last month.

What was clear, Mocnangan said, was that Adam was purportedly pinpointed by 2 witnesses as allegedly having high-caliber firearms in his possession.

Adam, meanwhile, said would question in court the alleged firearms that would be presented by police as evidence against him. From a report of Jorge Cariño, ABS-CBN News