10 armed men from La Union nabbed in Bataan

‘Land grabbing, drug syndicate’

By MydsSupnad 

Police are now probing 10 armed men, all natives of La Union,  who were arrested last week in the coastal and remote Sitio Lusong, Barangay Biaan, Mariveles in Bataan whether they belonged to a drug syndicate or land-grabbing gang that is financed by a wealthy businessman.

Land-grabbing “business” in Bataan, police said,  is a multi-million “monkey business” by unscrupulous individuals, some of whom are not residents in the province, who were able to enrich themselves by reselling government lands they forcibly and illegally occupied through armed goons.     

Senior Supt. Rhodel Sermonia, Bataan police director, presented to newsmen the arrested 10 armed men following their arrest during buy-bust operation. 

Arrested were   Omar Anomin, 45 of Burgos town; Artemio Carreon , 45 of Poblacion West, Rosario; Eduardo Macabio, 36 of Namonitan, Sto. Tomas; Mario Macabio, 35  of Bani, Rosario; Josefino Palanon, 46 of San Gabriel town; Eric Dulay, 35 of San Gabriel; Rolando Sarazon of Salangsang, San Gabriel; Erwin Espino, 23 of Namonitan, Sto. Tomas; Mark Brian Peralta of, 25, of Katagintingan, Rosario; and Leonardo de Guzman, 37 of Naguillian town, all  in the province of La Union.

Sermonia said around 9:30 morning of Dec. 10, they conducted  buy-bust operation that  initially resulted to the arrest of two suspects- Anomin and Carreon.

Sermonia told newsmen, before the arrest of the two, Carreon sensed the presence of other policemen and instantly fled towards their hideout, prompting police to give chase.

Sermonia  and his men followed the suspect and swooped down on their hideout, a shanty, and arrested Carreon inside.

The raiding team then chanced upon a group of eight persons who were caught sniffing shabu inside the shanty, and also arrested them.

Sermonia said the operation resulted to confiscation of four guns, including an M16 rifle loaded with 26 bullets, three Cal. 45 pistols with bullets, 17 spare bullets for caliber 45 and one spent shell for carbine.

Also confiscated from the suspects were seven sachets of shabu, four sachets of marijuana leaves and several drug paraphernalia.

During their presentation to newsmen, the suspects claimed that their boss are one Rodel and Dumpit, a prominent name in La Union who, newsmen learned, owns a wide area of lands in Bataan, most of which have been sold to unsuspecting bigtime buyers, amounting to hundreds of millions of pesos.

Sermonia said 10 more other armed men eluded arrest and are now the subject of manhunt by the police.

Prior to their arrest, Sermonia said they received complaints from nearby residents about the suspects’ activities such as using drug and threatening their neighbors in their bid to show force inside their illegally-occupied lands. 

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Don’t pay taxes to NPA: army general

By Mar T. Supnad

FORT MAGSAYSAY, Palayan City- A Philippine army general has urged candidates come local polls not to pay revolutionary taxes to a group or individual claiming to be members of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army rebels in Central and Northern Luzon.

           

Brig. Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang, commanding general of the Army’s 7th Infantry Division, said there are no more such revolutionary taxes being imposed by the rebels, saying those who are claiming as such are just plain civilian extortionists.

           

“My advice to these local candidates is not to pay such revolutionary taxes since those (asking) are just plain extortionists; report to us once you have encountered this,” said Catapang said.

For his part, Senior Supt. Ricardo Zapata, Bataan police director, also instructed his men to closely monitor if such incidents still exists in Bataan, but ho doubted it.              

This development came after a jobless man who claimed to be a member of the NPA was arrested last week by police  and Army personnel as he tried to collect money during an entrapment in Lourdes Subdivision, Barangay Tuyo, Balanga City.

           

Chief Insp. Crizalde M. Conde, chief of police of Limay town, who led the operation, reported that ConradoPascual, 46, of barangay Tenejero, Balanga City, was collared by government forces after trying to receive P50,000 of cash money he had extorted from a woman in Limay.

           

Also confiscated from the suspect was a toy gun, a replica of a caliber 45, two cellular phones, cash money and a Motor cycle.

           

“The suspect name-dropped the NPA to extort money, so we conducted an entrapment and we got him in the act of receiving money,” said Zapata.

           

The arrest of the suspect came after a businesswoman from Bernabe Subdivision, Barangay Reformista, Limay, personally sought the help of Maj. Conde after receiving a phone call from unidentified man, threatening to kidnap her kids if she will not give P 50,000.00.

           

The money will be reportedly be used as expenses of the suspect’s comrades who were reportedly injured.

           

Conde formed a team and conducted the entrapment operation.

           

Quoting the victim, Conde said the “NPA rebel” will kill all the victim’s children studying at Methodist School of Limay. “At this instance, the undersigned planned an entrapment operation to apprehend the caller,” Condetold  Zapata.

           

The arrested suspect was jailed at Limay PNP station whiule charges for Violation of Article 294 (Robbery with Violence Against or Intimidation of Persons) of the Revised Penal Code were prepared against him.

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Pangasinan couple shot dead in road ambush

By Mar T. Supnad

Gunmen riding in tandem on a motorcycle shot dead in broad day light a couple -- natives of Pangasinan Monday afternoon along the highway in Alauli, Pilar, Bataan.

Sr. Insp. Ronnie M. Favia, chief of police here, identified the victims as Armando Venegas,38 of Sitio Mabeg, Sabatan, Orion and his alleged live in partner identified as Dolor Landicho, 58, of Munting Batangas, Balanga, both of Bataan but had reportedly been living in Pangasinan these past few months until they came back to Bataan.

Investigation conducted by the police said that the two victims were aboard a motorcycle without plate number when they were waylaid by the suspects who were also riding in tandem.

The unidentified suspects appeared to have waited for the victims to pass by in the area since the shooting was carried out perfectly.

As soon as the victims got near the suspects, the gunmen suddenly opened fire and shot them at close range with Cal. 45 pistols.

The victims died on the spot due to gunshot wounds in the head, back and breast.
Senior Supt. Arnold D. Gunnacao, Bataan police director, ordered a manhunt for the perpetrators directing his men to investigate background of the victims. “We are looking into several angels, such as personal and other motives,” said Gunnacao.

“Halos pumutok iyong mga ulo at mukha ng dalawang biktima dahil sa tindi ng tama ng bala ng kalibre 45,” said local reporter Danny Cumilang who went to the ambush site right after the shooting.

Meanwhile, a suspected member of dreaded “Akyat-bahay” gang member was shot dead when he reportedly shot it out with the members of Pilar policemen in Sitio Tabon, Del Rosario, Pilar, Bataan.

Senior Supt. Arnold D. Gunnacao, Bataan police director, said the unidentified victim in his late 20s, was then with two other unknown armed men roaming around the vicinity of Sitio Tabon acting suspiciously.

The three were reported to the police by a tricycle driver who happened to pass by the area.
Right after receiving the report, Senior Insp. Ronnie M. Fabia, chief of police here, and other policeman proceeded to the area to verify the presence of armed men in Tabon.

At this juncture, Favia said the three were then climbing in a fence of house, prompted the policemen to ask them to stop for verification.

The victim, however, preferred to shot it out with the policemen.

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MORE NEWS, BATAAN

4 priests, 3 lawyers members of Underground in Central Luzon?
By Mar T Supnad

CAMP TOLENTINO, Bataan- The PNP provincial Intelligence office here is now looking into the backgrounds and participations of four priests, including a bishop and three other lawyers in the Underground movement in Central Luzon .

This development and reported involvement of the said personalities in the Underground movement came after the PNP confiscated recently confidential reports from the Rebolusyunaryong Hukbong Bayan (RHB), a breakaway group of the CPP/NPA rebels, during their operation in Samal town, a known bailiwick of the rebels.

Chief Insp. Cesar Lumiwes, PNP provincial Intelligence chief, said they are now declassifying the confiscated documents seized by them from the RHB which he described as “full of detailed A-1” information about the rebels’ activities and movements not only in Bataan but also in the whole region of Central Luzon .

For security reasons, the PNP intelligence chief, however, asked this writer not to reveal the identities of the bishop, the three priests and the three lawyers for the time being, one of whom is a prominent practicing lawyer in Bataan .
Based on the documents, Lumiwes said that a number of businessmen’s name, fish pond owners, politicians and other “sources” of the rebels were mentioned as their “sources of income and who are regularly paying their revolutionary taxes.”

It was not clear, however, if what are the real participations of the said subjects persons but definitely, Lumiwes, pointed out, they play a major role in the Underground movement. “Makapal etong dokumento na nakumpiska namin sa mga RHB rebels at kina classify pa namin,” said Lumiwes.

He said that it was also in the documents that one of the targets for liquidation is a member of the Philippine Army who incidentally joined in that operation. “Nagulat din etong Army dahil kasama pala siya sa tina target na lilikidahin ng mga RHB,” said Lumiwes.

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