POLICE ROUNDUP

Paracelis cops take into custody DPWH engineer in vehicle mishap 

PARACELIS, Mountain Province – A case for reckless imprudence resulting to physical injuries in being prepared against the driver of a Department of Public Works and Highway vehicle for colliding with a tricycle here around 7:30 p.m.along the national road here in Pontian, Butigue. 

The involved vehicles were a Red L200 Isuzu pick-up, bearing plate number HSG -520 issued to DPWH Mountain Province, driven by Cassiw Harry Chadya-as, 28, engineer, resident of Saclit, Sadanga, Mt. Province and a blue, Honda XRM motorcycle, bearing plate no. 8677-QQ, driven by Edwin Wandag Occas, 45, utility worker, resident of Pontian.

Police investigation disclosed the L200 Isuzu pick-up was traversing in the aforesaid road heading towards Bananao, Paracelis, Mt. Province when it collided with the XRM Motorcycle.

As a result, the driver of the motorcycle, sustained injuries on both feet and was rushed to Potia District Hospital, Alfonso Lista, Ifugao and later taken to Sanitarium Emergency Hospital, Santiago City for further medical treatment.

Both vehicles incurred damages with undetermined cost while the driver of the L200 Pick-up surrendered and is presently under custody of Paracelis police.

Young man comatose after mauling in Bontoc

BONTOC, Mountain Province – A certain Alvin Boyoten, 22 is still unconscious and in coma at the Bontoc General Hospital here after he was mauled by still unidentified persons at Barangay Samoki around 10:40 p.m. on Dec. 11.

The victim was brought to the hospital around 1 a.m. of Dec. 11 by his relatives but the victim refused to be admitted so they went home without reporting the matter to police.

Later the victim became unconscious so they borught him back to the hospital.

Police said he may be brought to Baguio City for more extensive treatment.

Farmer jailed for buying cigarretts using  fake P1,000

TABUK CITY, Kalinga – A certain Bagtang Basungit, 71, businessman,resident of Barangay Bulanao here with his son John Basungit  turned over to Tabuk police Alex Ao-wing Mangawit, 26, farmer Liyok, Limus, Pinukpuk town for using a fake P1,000 bill in buying a pack of cigarette in their store located at the Bulanao public market.

Police said about 2 p.m. Dec. 11, Mangawit allegedly tied to buy the cigarrete but the elder Basungit noticed the bill was counterfeit.

He ask for assistance from his son, arrested the suspect and brought him to police.

Confiscated from the suspect were two pieces of fake P1,000 bills with same serial numbers.

Mangawit is now in jail at the city police station while charges are being prepared against him.

Miner nabbed in bar with illegal gun, bullets

BAGUIO CITY – Police arrested a miner for illegal possession of firearm and bullets during a commotion at a a bar here.

Police said the incident happened Dec. 10 around 12 midnight at Angies 3 Liwliwa Videoke Bar at Upper Padre Burgos that led to the arrest of Leo Gunayon Badongon, 34, of Tuding, Itogon, Benguet. 

Investigation disclosed police were on patrol along Sinkhole, Tabora Park, Lower Magsaysay when they heard a commotion at the bar.

They immediately proceeded there and upon arrival, saw group of male persons running away.

The suspect was standing inside the bar and holding a firearm which prompted the police officers to grab the firearm from him.

Confiscated from the suspect was a Cal.45 pistol with  magazine loaded with four bullets.

Suspect who was injured in the head, cheek and mouth during the commotion was brought to Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center for treatment.

Case was brought to the attention of Inquest Prosecutor, Ruth Bernabe who ordered the detention of the suspect at the Baguio City Jail.  

Farmer nabbed for shabu in buy-bust

BUGUIAS, Benguet – Police with together with elements of Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency conducted  buy bust  operation on  about 2 p.m. Dec. 11 here in Upper Abatan and arrested Jaysie  Singwayan Liked, 22, resident of Bad-ayan, Baculongan Sur, Buguias.

Items seized  from the suspect were shabu weighing 4.17 grams valued at P25,020, two pieces of P500 bills and a cellphone.

The inventory was witnessed by Rose Balinang, barangay captain of Abatan, lawyer Marlyn Willie Galasa of Dept. of Justice  and Joel Cervantes of DZWT.

A case of illegal drugs is now being prepared against the suspect.

Jeep driver, vegetable farmers fall in Baguio City drug busts

BAGUIO City - A shabu dealer, who doubles as a jeepney driver, was arrested in an entrapment operation in this city on Thursday.

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-Cordillera Administrative Region identified the suspect as Josephino Balanon, 44, who lives along Honeymoon Road but is a native of San Gabriel, La Union.

The PDEA said Balanon was caught selling less than a gram of shabu to an undercover agent in a waiting shed at Bakakeng Norte at around 2 a.m. Thursday.

Meanwnile, PDEA agents also arrested two supposed vegetable farmers after being caught with at least P2 million worth of marijuana bricks abandoned along a sidewalk near a bus terminal in Governor Pack Road.

The suspects were identified as Crisanto Ngali Milio, 26 and Joel Madapen Paday-o, 24, from barangay Ahin and Lam-ayen in Tinoc town in Ifugao.

Seized from the two were 16,991.53 grams of marijuana bricks.

The suspects are facing charges for violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

Marijuana farmer in Benguet gets life

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet - A local court has sentenced to life imprisonment a farmer for maintaining two marijuana plantations in this province.

In a 24-page ruling, Judge Danilo Camacho of the First Judicial Region of Branch 62 in Benguet also ordered Alfredo Balangen Acdang, 33, to pay a fine of P5 million.

Acdang was caught in the act of tending to his marijuana plants on Feb. 11, 2011 in Sitio Mocgao in Badeo, Kibungan.

Another plantation being tended by Acdang was also raided by authorities.

More or less 120,000 seedlings and 24,000 fully grown marijuana plants valued at P14.4 million were uprooted from the two plantations during the raid.

The authorities also recovered during the operations a small sack of dried marijuana fruiting tops ready for conversion into brick form, a hydraulic jack, a wooden quadrilateral cylinder marijuana brick molder and a weighing scale, which are all marijuana brick processing paraphernalia were also seized from the MJ plantation farmer.

GRO killed in bar blaze

TUGUEGARAO CITY– A guest relations officer was killed while three others were wounded in a fire that razed a videoke bar in Ilagan City, Isabela Wednesday night.

The fatality was identified as Rubilyn Benito, 23, of Tondo, Manila.

The inujred victims – RonalynMartines, 20; Mark Castañeda, bar cashier, and Cris Antonio – were rushed to the Faustino Dy Sr. Memorial Hospital for treatment of second-degree burns, according to city fire marshall Senior Inspector Erwin Casil.

Fire investigators  have yet to determine the cause of the blaze.  – RaymundCatindig

2 cops victimized by ‘bukas-kotse’ gang

SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga - – Two police officers were victimized by suspected members of the “Bukas-Kotse” gang in separate incidents in Pampanga and Tarlac recently.

Superintendent WalfredoPornillos of the Intelligence Group in Camp Crame reportedly left his car, a black Honda Jazz, in front of a fastfood outlet in Barangay San Felipe in Pampanga, while Inspector Christian Lee Nelmida of the Tarlac police office left her brand new Hyundai EON car at the parking lot of Blossom Ville in Barangay Sto. Cristo, Tarlac City.

Pornillos said when he and his family returned, they found the items they left in the car gone, including a laptop computer, cellular phones and a brown sling bag containing his service firearm.

He said the burglars also took a bag containing baby’s milk and diapers.

Nelmida returned to his car 30 minutes later only to find its right window smashed. Her. 9mm service firearm, P3,000 cash and perfume worth P5,000 were gone.

Reports said the closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras of the establishments where the crime happened were not working during the incident.

Two Nueva Ecija barangay chiefs nabbed at ABC polls

SAN ANTONIO, Nueva Ecija – Tension marred the elections for the presidency of the Association of Barangay Chairmen (ABC) in this town when two village chairmen resisted lawmen trying to arrest them for charges of murder, frustrated murder and grave threats on Monday.

The incident, which occured at about 8 a.m., sparked a commotion and a walkout by six other barangay leaders.

The lawmen from the San Antonio police were serving warrants for the arrest of village leaders Anacoreta Santos of Barangay San Jose and Roy Juliano of Barangay Sta. Barbara for charges of murder, frustrated murder and grave threats.

Police said the two barangay officials went into hiding for several days and resurfaced at the Sangguniang Bayan session hall where the ABC polls was being held.

When the lawmen arrived, there were 16 other village chairmen at the hall taking part in the elections.

Aside from Santos and Juliano, the other village chiefs were Sonny Garces of Sto. Cristo, Pablo Torres (Hulo), Jojo Pomeda (Panabingan), Celia Cayman (Maugat), Sally Mendoza (Buliran), Rainier Umali (LawangKupang), Ome Macatunao (Tikiw) and Pepe Gante (Cama Juan), all allies of Mayor Antonino Lustre, and Tuque Zapata (Poblacion), Amang Carpio (Luyos), Turne Miranda (Sta. Cruz), OjieDionisio (Papaya), Eddie Ostanes (San Francisco) and Arcie Cruz (San Mariano), who were all supporters of ex-mayor Arvin Salonga, a rival of Lustre.

Chief Inspector Marcelino Veneracion, town police chief, said they were merely obeying a court order.

“We just implemented the warrants of arrest issued by the court. Our actions had nothing to do with the elections,” Veneracion said.

Earlier, provincial police director Senior Superintendent Crizaldo Nieves ordered Veneracion to enforce the arrest warrants against the two barangay executives.

Santos’ arrest was ordered by Gapan City Judge Mildred Villaroman for charges of murder and frustrated murder. No bail was recommended for the murder case while P200,000 was set for the frustrated murder case.

Juliano’s arrest was ordered by San Antonio Judge Voltaire Venturina for grave threats with arecommended bail of P6,000.

Lustre said Juliano is also serving a 60-day preventive suspension for charges of abuse of authority and gross misconduct filed against him by the Sangguniang Bayan.

Vice Mayor Jose Balagtas said Juliano’s suspension took effect on Dec. 5 until Feb. 3 next year.

Lawyer Arnold Castro, counsel for the accused, allegedly said the warrants should have been served after the elections.

The stand-off lasted for three hours, prompting Nieves to dispatch operatives of the provincial public safety company (PPSC) to the scene.

The PPSC team led by Inspector Joey Cabating managed to convince the two barangay officials to go with them.

The elections went on with Garces getting elected as ABC president. – With Ric Sapnu

Police reiterates advice to drivers to be always in  good shape when driving 

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet- - The Cordillera Police Regional Office  urged drivers to be always  in proper shape and  their vehicles in good condition before travelling to avoid accidents in the highways.

Cordillera deputy regional director for operations Senior Supt. Ulysses Abellera said drivers particularly of public utility vehicles should always be fit and healthy to drive  especially when conveying passengers.

Abellera said drivers should have enough rest and sleep, should always be alert and sure they are capable of long driving especially with the terrain in the Cordillera to avoid  accidents to avoid what occurred along Halsema Highway in Atok, Benguet  a few days ago.

Last Nov. 30, a white passenger van from Buguias, Benguet bound for Baguio City fell off a 50-meter ravine at Calasipan, Atok   resulting  to the  death of two passengers including Mountain Province State Polytechnic College President Dr. Eufemia Lamen who died while being operated at the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center in Baguio City on Sunday.

Another passenger identified as Bernabe Lablabong was pronounced dead on arrival at the Atok District Hospital while 14 more others were rushed to the Atok District Hospital and at Pines City Doctors Hospital and BGHMC in Baguio City for further treatment.

Atok police chief,  Insp. Cleff Vencio said the driver identified as Jimmy Bangbanga dozed  causing the van to fall into the ravine.

Bangbanga is still recuperating at the BGHMC and may face several charges.

Survivors of the tragic accident were PO3 Sabyat Rolex, 40; NgosiTino, 45; Danilo Melvin, 18; Victoria Licwasen,33; Bernaditte Dinisia, 32; Elena Salipen,65; Jake Bantasan, 29; Tito Ingosan, 57; Rachel Bacte, 16; Ben Bayas, 17; Marietta Pagnas, 51; Dona Jane, 1 year and 2 months and Charlene Calabson.

In June this year, 13  people were killed and several were injured when a Ford Fierajeepney they were riding fell off an 80-meter ravine in Bayoyo, Buguias, Benguet.

Baguio police promise more visibility in schools

BAGUIO CITY – Mayor Mauricio Domogan last week directed the city police under police director Jesus Cambay Jr. to increase police visibility in all public and private schools in the city to deter crimes and maintain order in the school areas.

Cambay committed to beef up their manpower deployment in said areas as requested.

           

The city council later approved a resolution authored by Councilor Roberto Ortega asking the city police to implement city resolutions for the augmentation of police visibility to maintain peace and order in said areas.

           

“Delinquencies, misconducts and criminalities are clearly rampant in said areas which lead to untoward crimes.  Crime prevention group or any relation organization in preventing crimes of the school is not enough to control inhibit crimes,” Ortega noted.

           

He cited three past resolutions expressing the same intent.

           

Theft remains as the most prevalent crime in the city and most of these happen in crowded places like university belts.

           

Cambay acknowledged the need to deploy more policemen in schools also as a means to curb youth offenses. – Aileen Refuerzo