POLICE ROUNDUP

Eateries serving liquor at Baguio market closed 

By Aileen P. Refuerzo

BAGUIO CITY - Sixteen establishments at the city market including 13 eateries caught serving liquor to customers were padlocked March 5 by personnel from the Permits and Licensing Division and Public Order and Safety Division of the City Mayor's Office.  

Mayor Benjamin Magalong signed the closure orders March 4 for the eateries operating as bars in buildings beside Block 4 for violation of Tax Ordinance 2000-001 which prohibits the selling or serving of liquor in stalls, booths or stores within the city market.

The crackdown included one sari-sari store for operating without permit, one lumpia manufacturer for lack of permit and unsanitary condition and one bingo joint located at the hotcake section also for lack of permit.

Another bingo stall was issued a notice of violation and faces closure in the coming days.

Licensing Division Chief Allan Abayao said the owners of the eateries had been advised against serving liquor when they renewed their permits last January but they did not comply.

Their blatant disregard of the law coupled with a recent stabbing incident in the area prompted the mayor to immediately order the closure of the establishments.

Since the mayor assumed post in July last year, the city government had closed a total of 1,872 establishments until December with another group of 45 prepared starting January this year.

Only those that complied with the requirements are allowed to re-operate.

Cagayan town anti-drug cop shot dead

By Raymund Catindig

ENRILE, Cagayan — An anti-narcotics officer was gunned down Tuesday here in Barangay Dos. 

S/Sgt. Alvin Anog had just come from the Regional Drug Enforcement Unit at Camp Marcelo Adduru in this city when he was waylaid.

He died at the scene. 

Anog was a recipient of the Medalya ng Kagalingan in 2018 for his role in anti-drug operations in the province.

Probers said drug suspects could be behind Anog’s murder, adding they are still investigating.

Like the rest of the country, scores of drug suspects had also been killed in Cagayan Valley since the start of the Duterte administration’s so-called war against drugs. 

Student drowns in river; two rescued

By Raymund Catindig

TUGUEGARAO CITY, Cagayan — A Grade 8 student drowned while trying to save his classmates who were carried away by the strong current of a river in Barangay Larion Alto here on Tuesday. 

According to a police report, Adriano Pacis Jr., 14, failed to surface when he tried to save his classmates identified only as Nicole and Sherwin at around noon.

The victims were among a group of students who went for a picnic near the river after their classes were suspended for the annual National School Press Conference that is being held here.

Fishermen saved Nicole and Sherwin.

Pacis’ body was recovered after three hours.

Cop held for gambling in Tayug, Pangasinan

By Emmanuel Tupaz

TAYUG, Pangasinan — A police officer was arrested after he was reportedly caught gambling in a cockpit arena here on Feb. 29The arrest of S/Sgt. Sherwin Salazar was based on a policy prohibiting government workers from engaging in gambling or frequenting gambling establishments.

Salazar was reportedly caught by undercover agents placing bets for an illegal cockfight activity or tupada at the JBC Cockpit Arena in Barangay Trenchera, according to Col. Ronald Lee, chief of the police’s Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group.

Aside from Salazar, the agents also arrested cockfight organizers Fiddie Castro and Florendo Mando.

The law only allows cockfighting in licensed cockpits during Sundays and holidays as well as fiestas, but not for more than three days.

“We’re intensifying our monitoring of police officers involved in all forms of illegal activities. We assure the public that we will apprehend them as soon as we have sufficient evidence against them,” Lee said.

 60 chicharon sacks seized in Ilocos Sur

By Raymund Catindig

SAN ESTEBAN,  Ilocos Sur -- At least 60 sacks of chicharon (pork crackling) feared contaminated with African swine fever (ASF) were seized from a bus passenger here in Barangay Villa Quirino on Monday.

Municipal meat inspector Julius Ayson said they received information on the delivery of the items to a certain Albert Rivera of Barangay Villa Quirino.

The seized products were turned over to the provincial quarantine office.

Ayson said Rivera faces charges for violation of a provincial ordinance, which bans the entry of pigs, pork and related products in the province.      

 P27-M marijuana seized in Mt Province, Bulacan

By Ramon Efren Lazaro

BONTOC, Mountain Province — Marijuana leaves and bricks worth P24.2 million were seized at a police checkpoint in Lower Caluttit, Bontoc, Mountain Province here on Feb. 29.

Three persons allegedly yielded P19.3 million worth of marijuana while five others were caught with P3.3 million of the illegal drugs.

A 9mm pistol, two magazines, ammunition and four cellular phones were also reportedly recovered from the suspects.  

In Bulacan, P4.4 million worth of marijuana was seized from nine persons arrested in a drug sting in Hagonoy on March 1.