POLICE ROUNDUP

Four big-time marijuana dealers nabbed in Tarlac
CAMP MACABULOS, Tarlac City – City police arrested four big-time marijuana suppliers here last week.

Senior Supt. Nicanor Ancheta Bartolome, police provincial director, said he earlier instructed the provincial drug enforcement unit to verify intelligence reports on the inevitable surge in marijuana selling as "shabu trafficking has become less profitable and very expensive."
Bartolome’s instructions led to the arrest of four big-time marijuana sources in three towns and in this city.

They yielded five kilos marijuana fruiting tops packed in one kilo bricks and in plastic sachets.
Bartolome said the recent arrests indicate that some of the remaining illegal drug traffickers in the province have shifted to selling marijuana following a decrease in the local supply of shabu.
Bartolome identified those arrested as Joy de Leon, Tarlac City, 1.4 kilos; Cornelio Defontorum, Concepcion, 1.3 kilos; Romeo Soriano, La Paz, 2.5 kilos, and Gregorio O. Taban, Paniqui, 9 grams, or a total of 5.3 kilos.

The four were arrested in separate operations led by the PDEU in said towns and this city, barely two weeks after Bartolome ordered the PDEU to clear the province of remaining illegal drug sources.

Bartolome said most of the illegal drug personalities listed in the order of battle were now in jail.
"Even as we have succeeded in wiping out brisk illegal drug trafficking in the province, I have given orders to our drug enforcement teams to clear Tarlac of illegal drugs on or before the end of the year," he said. – George Trillo


Cordillera police director commends meritorious cops
CAMP DANGWA, La Trinidad, Benguet – Regional police director Eugene Martin commended police based in Cordillera provinces last week for arresting persons wanted for various crimes.
In Abra, arrested were Joel D Suyan and Manuel L Licwayan for robbery and physical injuries; Romel Siganay, Rocky Siganay and Reynaldo Siganay for attempted murder.

In Benguet, police nabbed Aron T Aten-an at Tawang, La Trinidad for robbery with violence; Frederick Espada of Barangay Buyagan, also of the town for violation of Republic Act 6539; Victorio Calicdan of Keymins Hill, Balatoc, Itogon town for reckless imprudence resulting to physical injuries and Gaspar Duenes Amballo of South, Baretbet, Bagabag, Nueva Vizcaya for robbery with homicide.

In Mountain Province, police arrested Domdom L Sayaan for robbery with violence, Ariel Buking for acts of lasciviousness and Eric Cawilan for robbery with force upon things.

The Regional Mobile Group was also commended for the arrest of Malcolm Longgato, Allan B Adeban, and Riyadh Lizardo at Km 6, La Trinidad, Benguet for robbery with violence.
Kalinga police were also cited for the arrest of Aurelio B Marzan Jr at Ubbog, Tabuk, Kalinga for murder.

It was also known Ifugao police arrested Reynaldo Binwag for violation of PD 705 and Eldam O Collantes of North Fairview, Quezon City for murder.

In Baguio, cops were also commended for the arrest of Mariano Matayew at Petron Gas Station, BGH Rotonda for reckless driving resulting to serious physical injuries, Eleanor A Villanueva of Balacbac for robbery with violence, Sammy Mapili for robbery with violence, Maria Luz Japson and Sergio B Japson at the Athletic Bowl for robbery and extortion and Tita Marietta P De Guzman at Session road for theft.

Four packs of dried marijuana leaves in bricks form weighing around 20 kg valued at P500,000 were also confiscated along Marcos Highway in the city.


Young ‘rapist’ nabbed in Abra
LA PAZ, Abra – Elements of provincial investigation and intelligence branch and La Paz police led by Chief Insp. Melvin G. Napiloy and Insp. Lou Claro nabbed one of the most wanted persons here identified as Milky B. Beronilla, 21, single, laborer and resident of Barangay Ababeng in La Paz.

Beronilla was arrested by virtue of a warrant of arrest for rape with no bail recommended issued by Judge Coropuz Alzate of Regional Trial Court in the capital town Bangued, Abra.

Provincial police chief Alexander Pumecha said Beronilla was charged for raping a four-year-old girl on Oct. 24, 2006 at La Paz and had been evading arrest until intelligence operatives picked up his trail.

Police said Pumecha has made it one of his priorities in running after child abusers, whom he considers one of the worst type of criminals.

Pumecha urged victims or witnesses of such crimes to report these to the police and identify perpetrators so they would be arrested.


Police launches handbook for band and pawnshop owners against robbers
CAMP FLORENDO, La Union – A handbook on measures against bank and pawnshop robberies highlighted the Ilocos Region’s celebration of “crime prevention month.”

The handbook was authored by Senior Supt .Noel Talino, Regional Intelligence Division chief, while its publication was endorsed by Chief Supt. Leopoldo Bataoil, Police Regional Office 3 director.

"We will fight crimes with knowledge," said Bataoil.

The handbook was launched by the Regional Anti-Bank Robbery Special Operations Task Force and the Regional Intelligence Division in this camp. "It contains, among others, anti-bank and pawnshop robbery counter measures.

"The information contained in this handbook is very important, especially to pawnshop and banking groups," Talino said.

Talino said if only pawnshops and banks were fully aware on the procedures and strategies employed by criminal elements, it would be very difficult, or impossible, for any criminal group to consummate a robbery.

"This handbook ensures our presence in the minds of bank and pawnshop executives, the service the police is capable of rendering, and our concern for the protection of their property and safety of their lives," Talino said.

The 21-page handbook is loaded with tips on countering the modus operandi of various syndicates involved in bank and pawnshop robberies.

It tells about the way a notorious robbery group like the "Acetylene Gang" would undertake its crime.

He said the RID 3 did its best to produce the handbook and carried out a careful study on the past activities of the "Acetylene Gang" as well as an evaluation of police’s counter measures.

Likewise, the handbook will serve as guide for the local police, owners and managers of banks and pawnshops and other similar establishments as well as the local government units and the community in combating robberies.

"For the past five years, robberies were prevalent in Ilocos and victims were mostly banks, bank clients, pawnshops, convenience, stores and other similar establishments.

"The results were tragic, to some, because they suffered a financial breakdown," Talino noted.
Most of the successful robbery incidents were perpetrated by the Acetylene Gang which had gained notoriety not only in Ilocos but in the entire country.

"They have been very successful in most of their operations of their well performed modus operandi. Their presence served as hindrance to the attainment of a sustainable peace and development throughout the country," he added.

Police authorities in Pangasinan and Ilocos Sur recently busted two groups of the Acetylene Gang that resulted to the arrest of several persons and the confiscation of their equipment.
Sr. Supt. Romeo Espiritu, Task Force chief, said the impact of the handbook will make the Ilocos region "a dangerous place for robbers."

"The Task Force came up with this handbook to prevent robbery incidents in banks and pawnshops and to provide tips to clients and to our law enforcers," Espiritu said.
Among the tips cited in the book is "consider everyday as an opportune day for robbery and always bring companions in transacting business with banks and pawnshops.

Bataoil said the publication of the Book is another big step of enforcing laws, winning wars and touching people’s lives.

"I congratulate the people behind the publication of the book. The police values the support and assistance the Task Force provided specially in investigation. Our call of duty must be heard and heeded. Together we can do more, let us fight crime with knowledge," Bataoil said in his message during the program. – Mar T. Supnad