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Bacolod City, Philippines Monday, April 2, 2012
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Cop suspect in
Salabas slay falls
BY ADRIAN NEMES III

One of the policemen wanted for the 2003 kidnapping and murder of former Brgy. Pahanocoy captain Eleuterio Salabas and two others in Bacolod City is now facing illegal drug charges in Los Baños, Laguna

Reports said that former Senior Insp. Bonifer Gotas, 38, and his companions Nolan Marcelo, 47 and Nora Velasquez, were arrested by the police in a drug buy-bust operation in Brgy. Bambang, Los Baños City Tuesday after one of them allegedly handed a sachet of suspected shabu to police poseur-buyer in exchange for P25,000.

Charges for violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 or Republic Act 9165 were filed against them before the Los Baños Municipal Trial Court, two days after their arrest, Supt. Gilberto Cruz, Laguna Police Provincial Office Director, said.

Elizabeth Salabas, the widow of the slain barangay official, told the DAILY STAR that the death of her husband and Maximo Lomoljo and Ricardo Suganob is now attaining justice with the arrest of Gotas, and the conviction of former Chief Inspectors Clarence Dongail and Jimmy Fortaleza, and Senior Police Senior Police Officer 2 Freddie Natividad last year.

Dongail, Fortaleza and Natividad were meted 120 years by the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 27 in April last year for their alleged participation in the kidnapping and the murder of Salabas, Suganob and Lomoljo.

Another suspect, former Kagawad Elson Canete, 49, of Brgy. 2, Bacolod and now a resident of Tongoy village in Brgy. Bata, in the city was also arrested by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group last year on the strength of an arrest warrant issued by Judge Mario Trinidad of Regional Trial Court Branch 64 of Guihulngan, Negros Oriental, who denied him bail.

Salabas’ widow said that there are still about 19 former policemen and civilians wanted for the kidnap and murder of her husband who are still at large.

She urged the remaining suspects to surrender and face the bar of justice and also stressed that she is not angry with them anymore.

She asked the police to intensify their search because the more these suspects go on hiding the more they become prone to illegal activities as they do not have any other source of income.

Salabas, Suganob and Lomoljo were kidnapped in Bacolod City on August 31, 2003, but their bodies were found in the rivers of Bago City and Pulupandan town, Negros Occidental, and in the shores of Ajuy in Iloilo province, several days later.

The Supreme Court had transferred the trial from the Regional Trial Court of Guihulngan City, where the vehicle allegedly used in the kidnapping was found, to Metro Manila.*APN

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