POLICE ROUNDUP

Ilocos Norte jail warden suspended

SAN NICOLAS, Ilocos Norte -- The provincial legal office of Ilocos Norte has slapped a 30-day preventive suspension against provincial jail warden Dario Estavillo and a jail guard for the unauthorized temporary release of an inmate who beat up a dried fish vendor in this town last Feb. 18.

Lawyer Jayson Pereira said the suspension would prevent Estavillo and jail guard Michael Hernandez from influencing the investigation into the release of inmate Darwin Manuel, who figured in the incident while escorted by Hernandez.


P135 million marijuana destroyed in Cordillera

CAMP DANGWA, La Trinidad, Benguet - More than P135 million worth of marijuana have been destroyed in the Cordillera in less than two months.

Chief Supt. Benjamin B. Magalong, regional police director bared this saying from January to February police operatives and narcotics agents burned marijuana plantations in the Cordillera.

Magalong said successful operations against illegal were due to support of local government units and communities.

For the past several decades, the Cordillera has been pinpointed by law enforcement agencies as the major source of marijuana being circulated in most parts of the country.


Drug suspect / gun-for-hire arrested

BATAC, CITY, Ilocos Norte -- A suspected drug pusher who reportedly doubles as a gun-for-hire here, was arrested Feb. 24, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency -Region 1 reported.

Jose Amos Agdigos, 49, was ranked seventh most wanted by PDEA in the Ilocos region.

He was allegedly caught selling a packet of shabu to anti-narcotics agents in Barangay Billoca, Batac.

Twenty-two sachets of shabu, several handguns and grenades, a cell phone and marked money worth P71,900 were seized from the suspect. -- Teddy Molina


2 Vizcaya gov’t workers nabbedin buy-bust

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya –Two government employees here were arrested in separate buy-bust operations last week, reports from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency said.

Jerome Serquina, 37, planning officer of the provincial government, and Melvin Aquino, driver of the Solano municipal hall were arrested in an entrapment operation in Bambang town’s Barangay Santo Domingo last Feb. 21, a day after Aquino was arrested in Solano town.

Seized from Serquina were a sachet of shabu and P1,500 marked money while six sachets with .20 grams each of shabu were confiscated from Aquino.

Aquino, who is said to be the son of former town council secretary Manny Aquino, who is running for councilor, andSerquina, were subjects of weeklong surveillance operations.

Solano town Mayor Philip Dacayo had put up a P50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of municipal workers involved in illegal drugs.

Dacayo also ordered a random drug test for all town employees. – Charlie Lagasca


Slay suspect in handcuffs jumps off bus in La Union

BACNOTAN, La Union – A murder suspect in handcuffs managed to escape from his police escorts by jumping off from a window of a passenger bus here Feb. 22, authorities said.

The inmate, Ronald Gambol, was being brought to a court hearing in Candon, Ilocos Sur, escorted by three policemen on a passenger bus, when he escaped, said Senior Insp. Christian Alquisa, Bacnotan police chief.

Police gave no further details of the escape.


Man wanted for rape in MP arrested

PARACELIS, Mountain Province -- A man wanted for rape was nabbed here Feb. 24, 2013 by a team of the provincial police office.
Senior Supt. William Viteño, provincial police director identified the suspect as NeolDampagMadanom, 41, married, tricycle driver and resident of Barangay Bugallon Norte, Ramon, Isabela.

A warrant of arrest was earlier issued by Judge Joseph Patnaan of the Regional Trial Court, Branch 35 Bontoc Mountain Province for his arrest.

The arrest of Madanom was the result of the operation of personnel of the 2nd platoon of Mountain Province Provincial Public Safety Company based in Paracelis led by Insp. Richard P. Soliven.

Shabu pusher arrested in Baguio

An alleged drug pusher was arrested with three sachets of shabu in a recent buy-bust operation at Lower Kitma, Bakakeng Central, Baguio City.

Police identified the suspect as Jeffrey Damian y Pamitan alias “Jepoy”, 29, single, college undergraduate, cook or bartender, native of Baguio City and resident of Lower Kitma, Bakakeng Central, Baguio City.

The medium-sized, heat-sealed, transparent, plastic sachets containing a total of exactly .07 grams of shabu were exchanged by Damian for two thousand pesos to an agent of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency – Cordillera Administrative Region who acted as poseur-buyer.

A criminal case for illegal drugs was filed against Damian.

He been previously charged for grave threats.

2 holdups noted in Kalinga; 2men nabbed in Ifugao
By Vivencia D. Bulayungan
Police arrested two men last week in Ifugao for violence against women and children even as two road holdups were reported in Pinukpuk, Kalinga last week.

Insp. Christian Salonga, Lagawe police chief, led the arrest of a 54-year- old man for violation of Republic Act 9262 or Anti-violence Against Women and their Children Act.

The same team arrested another wanted person also for violation of RA 9262.

The arrests were made by virtue of warrants of arrest issued by Judge Ester Flor of Regional Trial Court Branch 14.

Salonga said both suspects were brought to Kiangan MPS for documentation prior presentation at the issuing court.

“We just received the warrant of arrest the same day when we conducted the arrest,” Salonga said adding that this will dispel the wrong notion of the public that policemen notify wanted persons so they will have the opportunity to hide.

In another development, the two cases of hold-up in a week prompted officials of Pinukpuk, Kalinga to convene its Municipal Peace and Order Council to address the problem.

Based on the reports of Pinukpuk police, there seemed to be a similar “modus operandi” by the suspects who held-up a sari-sari store owned by a certain Elsie Bowat in Barangay Apatan last January 31 and the group, who barged into the St. Mary’s Catholic convent in Barangay Allaguia last Feb. 3.

In both incidents, substantial amounts of cash and valuables were taken from the victims.

Because of their “modus operandi” the police tagged the group as “masking tape gang” since they use masking tape to hogtie and cover the mouths of their victims.

Municipal Mayor Irving Dasayon has called for all barangay chairmen, village leaders and concerned people to attend the MPOC to thresh-out steps to solve the problem.

Minor nabbed for selling marijuana
SAN GABRIEL, La Union -- A 16-year-old boy was arrested by operatives of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency for selling a brick of marijuana fruiting tops in La Union.

A PDEA press statement said the minor was caught red-handed selling the illegal drug weighing around 2 kg worth P100,000 to PDEA operatives under regional director JeoffreyTacio and San Gabriel police here in the corner of Apusen and Laoeng Streets, Poblacion on Feb. 22.

The boy, a resident of SitioSiwsiwan, Barangay Amontoc, San Gabriel, was eportedly engaged in the voluminous sale and delivery of dried marijuana fruiting tops in La Union.

The suspect shall remain under the custody of the Department of Social Welfare and Development for the time being.

Although he is a minor, he will be criminally liable under Republic Act 9344 or the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006, if the court finds that he acted with discernment in selling the marijuana brick.

Cacdac said that based on the consolidated data of the Agency, from 2003 to 2012, a total of 1,044 minors, aged seven to 17, were arrested for violation of RA 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

PDEA nabs 'drug trafficker' in Ilocos Norte operation
BATAC CITY, Ilocos Norte – Am alleged illegal drug trafficker, who also allegedly ran a gun-for-hire operation, was arrested by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency - Region 1.

Forty-nine-year old Jose Amos Agdigos was caught selling a packet of shabu to anti-narcotics agents here at Barangay Billoca last Feb. 23.

After he was caught by joint PDEA and Region 1 policemen who tailed him for several months, 22 sachets of shabu, several handguns and grenades were also seized in his house at Barangay Rayuray in Ilocos Norte.

The P3,500 marked money used in the entrapment operation, another P68,400 and Agdigos's phone - allegedly used in the illegal drug trade - were also seized from the suspect.

Bismark Bengwayan, spokesperson of the PDEA-Region 1 said Agdigos “was not only the main source of shabu in Batac City but also maintains a gun-for-hire group and into gunrunning.

Agdigos is facing charges of selling and possession of illegal drugs and illegal possession of firearms.


12 hurt in 9-vehicle smashup on NLEX
By George Trillo

CAMP OLIVAS, Pampanga – At least 12 people sustained injuries in a nine-vehicle smashup along a stretch of the North Luzon Expressway in San Fernando, Pampanga past noon on Feb. 22.

In a report, Senior Supt. R’WinPagkalinawan, Pampanga police director, identified the injured as RitsmondCastelo, Clarie Amor Laciste, Karen Pineda, Allan Lagat, Clarinjda May Laciste, Elvira Pineda, NichaColangco, Daniel Reyes, Celia Gregorio, Felicisma Reyes, Jun Haber, and William Chua.

They were brought to the Makabali Hospital and San Fernandino Hospital, both in the City of San Fernando.

The accident, according to Pagkalinawan, occurred at around 12:30 p.m. Friday along Km 60+NB in Barangay San Jose, San Fernando and involved a Honda Civic (with license plate SFJ-730), Toyota Camry (FTC-885), Ford Everest (AEU-2188), Hyundai Getz (ZPA-951), Kia Sportage (ZJU-883), two Mitsubishi Monteros (XJA-251 and RMU-102), a Yutung Bataan Transit bus (TXU-683), and another Mitsubishi car (PUQ-283), all cruising southbound.


Man nabbed for rape of nieces
CAMP RAVINA, Aurora– Police recently arrested a 27-year-old man accused of raping his three nieces and getting one of them pregnant.

Senior Insp. Victor Morales, station commander, said Rolando Margate, a resident of Barangay 4, Maria Aurora town, was arrested in Barangay Real in San Luis town.

Margate’s alleged victims were aged 11, 10 and six.
A medical examination on the eldest victim showed that she is pregnant. -- MG

One dead, eight hurt in Ilocos Sur road accident

SANTA LUCIA -- - A drunk driver lost control of his Isuzu Forward truck, sideswiped a van, killing one and hurting eight others here in Barangay Anglileng Feb. 17.

Gladyz Yaris, 20, from Samara, Aringay town in La Union was killed while 31-year-old Ely Ibasa Ibasa; Gelyn Aiza Ibasa, 26; Ylanie Salche Ibasa; SyhyshyIbasa, 8; Rabrap Ibasa,2; all passengers of the Mercedes Benz van were hurt.

The driver of the truck Nelson Paa, 38 and his passengers Aronie Carmelo, 25 and RonelCalso, 19 were also hurt.
Police said the impact of the truck on the van was so strong, causing the smaller vehicle to ram a warehouse owned by Alberto Hernaez.

Pangasinan, La Union ‘drug trail’ busted

DAGUPAN CITY – Seventeen illegal drug pushers and users were recently arrested here by Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and police elements.

Latest to be nabbed was a certain Richard Cayabyabwho was caught in the act of selling shabu together with Maricris Ballesteros and Mary Ann Cayabyab evening of Feb. 20 here at SitioTondaligan, Bonuan Guesset.Both women were reportedly openly offering their bodies for sex to covert agents in pot session areas.

A police report said the open flesh trade was used in enticing and maintaining drug clients.

Police reportedly searched the area and found two women sniffing shabu and who were being used as prostitutes by the group.
On the same date separate teams from PDEA RO1 and Rosario police apprehended a 14-year- old boy who was selling shabuat Barangay Alipang, Rosario La Union.

The alleged minor admitted he came from Tondaligan, Bonuan, Dagupan City and was paid to deliver the drugs.

“The trail of illegal drugs points out to one source;Sitio Tondaligan, Bonuan Guesset of Dagupan City as several houses in the area are being used as drug dens,” a PDEA press statement said.

Drug densreportedly yielded sachets of shabu, worth P 1,720,000, several firearms and bullets while 17 drug peddlers and users were arrested.

The “shabu trail” now may lead to several more apprehensions as sources and landing points reaching as far as Ilocos Norte and Baguio Ciy are being identified.

PDEA regional director Jeoffrey C.Tacio said.