POLICE ROUNDUP

 2 slain in Nueva  Ecija ‘shootout’

By Ramon Efren Lazaro

SAN JOSE CITY, Nueva Ecija -- Two drug suspects were killed while a police officer was wounded in an alleged shootout here on Dec. 6.
    Bryan Leonile Driswas, 33, and Hymer Leung, 34, both of Baguio City, reportedly drew their guns after sensing they were dealing with an undercover agent, according to Nueva Ecija police chief Col. Marvin Joe Saro.
    The suspects died at the scene while their companion escaped.
    Cpl. Mark Joseph Tangonan of the San Jose City police was taken to the hospital for treatment of a gunshot wound.
    Driswas ranked third on the drug list of the police, Saro said.
    Probers recovered from the scene of the encounter handguns, bullet shells, plastic sachets containing shabu and the suspects’ car.

Benguet cops destroy P84-M illegal drugs

By Liza Agoot

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – The Police Provincial Office recently seized and destroyed a total of P84.09 million worth of illegal drugs. Col. Elmer Ragay, provincial director, said Benguet police confiscated a total of P84,089,968 worth of illegal drugs in the heightened anti-illegal drugs campaign from January to November this year.
    Based on a report, Ragay said they destroyed 243,501 fully grown marijuana plants; 78,085 marijuana seedlings; 153 kilograms of dried marijuana stalks; 14.85 kilograms of dried marijuana leaves; five kilos marijuana seeds; 465.94 grams of suspected “shabu”; 2.2018 kilograms of marijuana fruit toppings and 34 kilograms of marijuana bricks.

He said the confiscated illegal drugs were a result of the 73 buy-busts, 50 marijuana eradication operations, eight services of search warrants, nine services of warrants of arrest, two checkpoint operations, and 10 police response from calls coming from the community.

Ragay said this year has been "very extraordinary, and unpredictable, but in its truest sense, has brought out in all of us the best owing to a true test of resiliency. It was full of trials and challenges, but was nonetheless accompanied by bountiful accomplishments and accolades.”

He also said as part of the anti-criminality campaign of the PNP, their personnel also arrested a total of 82 Top Most Wanted Persons (TMWP) with one listed at the national level, 3 at the regional level, 38 at the province level, and 40 in the municipal level.

There were also 186 wanted persons arrested in operations and 273 on warrantless arrests as a result of response to the commission of crimes.

It was also seized a total of 103 loose and unregistered firearms with 93 of them surrendered by the owners for safekeeping pending the processing of the permit to possess a gun.

Ragay said the campaign of the PNP to recover loose and unregistered firearms is to assure the safety of the public from the commission of crimes with the possible use of unlicensed guns.

On its counter-insurgency campaign, the Benguet police convinced 18 members of the New People’s Army (NPA) to return to the fold of the law.

The surrenderers brought with them five long firearms, a sub-machine gun, a pistol, and a grenade.

Ragay said the accomplishments were a result of a strong police-community partnership in the fight against criminality to assure the safety, peace, and progressive lives of the people in the province. -- PNA 

 Cordi police up security amid no truce with NPA

By Liza Agoot  

CAMP DANGWA, La Trinidad, Benguet – The Police Regional Office in Cordillera has heightened its security amid the holiday season without a truce with the New People’s Army (NPA). Brig. Gen. R’Win Pagkalinawan, Cordillera director, said during a press conference on Wednesday that they "will be on full blast in our internal security operation to safeguard our people and maintain peace and order”. He said they welcome the decision of President Rodrigo Duterte not to declare a holiday truce with the NPA terrorist group.
    The officer said the police including the military will jointly operate against the NPAs.

“Ginagamit lang ng maka kaliwang grupo ang truce para magpalakas ng pwersa kaya maganda at hindi nagdeclare ang ating Pangulo (the left-leaning organization is just using and taking advantage of the holiday truce to strengthen their force. It is good that the President did not declare it),” he said.

The officer said all policemen will be on duty and will be on heightened alert during the holidays to secure the communities for any eventuality and to respond to calls related to crimes and disturbance of peace and tranquility.

He added there are checkpoints already established in strategic areas and additional mobile checkpoints will be set up as part of the internal security operations during the holidays.

He urged communities to provide information on the presence of NPA as shown in the past months where declarations of “persona-non-grata” for the left-leaning organizations were declared.

“Malaki na ang support ng community (we have a big mass support from the community),” he said.

He added all barangays, municipalities, and even provincial local governments in the Cordillera have expressed their dislike of the presence of the NPAs in their communities and have decided to support the government’s effort to end local communist armed conflict. -- PNA 

PNP, AFP seize guns,explosives in Cagayan

By Oliver T. Baccay

BAGGAO, Cacayan -- joint forces of the Philippine National Police's (PNP) Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit and the Armed Forces of the Philippines' 77th Infantry Battalion confiscated high-powered firearms, ammunition and explosives here at Barangay Carupian last week. 

 With a search warrant, authorities confiscated from the house of Isabelo Adviento, 55, an Uzi Cal.  9mm automatic rifle and magazine, hand grenade, two rifle grenade launchers and improvised explosive device.

 Police Brig. Gen. Crizaldo O. Nieves, PNP regional director, said authorities were not able to arrest Adviento as he was not in their house during the operation. Authorities also served a search warrant at the house of Amanda Socorro Echanis, 32.

The search allegedly resulted in the seizure of one M16 rifle, long plastic magazine, long steel m16 magazine, ammunition and two hand grenades.

Nieves said Echanis is now under the custody of the CIDG but he said  the suspect's one-month-old baby was not included during the arrest.

"It is the will and decision of Echanis to bring the child along so she can breastfeed the baby," Nieves said.

The police authorities are now negotiating with the DSWD for proper care of Echanis’ child.

On the other hand, based on a report of the 5th Infantry Battalion, Echanis was a suspected finance officer of the New People’s Army operating in Cagayan area.

Major General Laurence Mina, commander, said the arrest of Echanis, also known as Ka Waya, will affect operations of the NPA considering her position as finance officer. – PIA Cagayan

Vizcaya drug-cleared villages get cash grants

By Benjamin Moses M. Ebreo

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya – Ten barangays here Monday received financial incentive from the provincial government for clearing their communities of illegal drugs.
    Gov. Carlos Padilla led the turn-over of P100,000 checks to barangays Bangar in Solano, Casat in Bayombong, Nangalisan and Murong in Bagabag, Sta. Clara in Aritao, Dullao and Aliaga in Bambang and Alloy, Kongkong and Papaya in Kasibu.
    "This incentive is given to our barangays so that they will be inspired to transform their barangays into drug-cleared communities. Let us sustain this status to prevent the proliferation of illegal drugs in our respective communities," Padilla said.
    Padilla added the incentive was part of the provincial government's support to President Rodrigo Roa Duterte's illegal drugs campaign in the country.
    The distribution of the drug clearing incentive was witnessed by Police Gen. Angelito Casimiro, chief of the PNP's Directorate for Logistics, Police Gen. Crizaldo Nieves, PNP regional director for Cagayan Valley and Col. Ranser Evasco, Nueva Vizcaya provincial police director.
    The distribution of the incentives was part of the blessing and inauguration of the newly-completed P2.4 million PNP multi-purpose gymnasium and turn-over of firearms, vehicles and equipment to the PNP in the province at Camp Saturnino Dumlao in Bayombong. – PIA Nueva Vizcaya
 

Police nab Isabela’s top 2 most wanted persons

By Liezle Basa Inigo

SAN MANUEL, Isabela -- Provincial police director Col. James Cipriano said Marco Dela Cruz, a 19-year-old construction worker and tagged as the province’s most wanted person, was arrested Dec. 2 by the San Manuel Municipal Police following arrest warrant issued against him by a Regional Trial Court in Roxas, Isabela, for rape. 

A day before, Joshua Fugaban, Isabela’s No. 2 most wanted, was arrested in Purok 2, Barangay San Leon in Umingan, Pangasinan, by elements of the San Pablo Municipal Police by the virtue of an arrest warrant issued by a Cabagan, Isabela RTC.
    Cipriano cited the two police stations for apprehending the province’s top two most wanted urging them to strengthen intelligence in tracking down fugitives and to be more prepared in combatting crime in Isabela.