Negros crime
volume drops

The crime volume in Negros Occidental went down by 28 percent this year, compared to 2011, Supt. Jefferson Descallar, Operations Branch chief of the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office, said yesterday.

Descallar said the crime volume went down from 1909 last year, to 1356 this year, or a reduction of 553 incidents.

At the same time, the average monthly crime rate also reduced by 2.28 per 100,000 population, that was 7.16 in 2011, and only 4.88 this year.

Cases of physical injuries topped crimes against person in Negros Occidental with 223, murder - 144, homicide - 64 and rape - 60.

In the same period, the NOPPO also accounted for 467 persons with pending arrest warrants for various crimes, while 62 were apprehended for illegal possession of firearms, that also led to the recovery of 84 guns, Descallar said.

In the campaign against drugs, 160 suspected drug peddlers were arrested, while 178 grams of suspected shabu and marijuana were recovered from the apprehended suspects, police records show.*GPB

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Murcia farmer slain
by cousin, PNP says

A farmer whose neck was slashed by his cousin over a misunderstanding in Murcia town, Negros Occidental, at about 10 p.m. Thursday died yesterday in Bacolod City.

Insp. Celjun Nemenio, Murcia town police officer-in-charge, identified the victim as Ronald Tawtaran, 23, of Purok Himpod in Brgy. Minuyan, Murcia.

Nemenio said Tawtaran was first rushed to the Murcia Health Center after the incident but at about 4 a.m. yesterday, he was transferred to the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital for an operation, but was declared dead on arrival there.

Nemenio identified the suspect as Nicolas Valentino, 30, of the same barangay, who initially evaded arrest. However when his family learned that the police were searching for him; his brother, Eduardo Valentino, surrendered him to the Murcia PNP.

Investigation showed that the two were drinking with others near the house of a barangay official, whose name was being withheld by the police, when all out of a sudden, Tawtaran attempted to hack Valentino. Valentino in retaliation, hacked Tawtaran in the neck with a bolo, Nemenio added.

Nemenio said homicide charges will be filed against Valentino before the Negros Occidental Provincial Prosecutors Office.*Shiela May Gelera

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Internet worker shot

An Internet cafe collector was shot during a robbery attempt in broad daylight yesterday at 18th Street, in Bacolod City.

Station 2 chief, Senior Insp. Robert Dejucos identified the victim as Randy Alota, 35, of Brgy. Salvacion in Murcia town, Negros Occidental, and employed by the Battle Station Internet and gaming café.

Investigation conducted by Police Officer 2 Leomel Guinanao showed that Alota was driving his motorcycle at about 9 a.m. when an unidentified man blocked his way in front of the Montesori Learning Center and declared a hold-up.

Alota sped away to escape the robber, who chased and shot him with what is believed to be a .38 caliber revolver, Dejucos said.

The suspect who failed to get anything from Alota, escaped on a motorcycle with his two unidentified companions, while Alota who sustained a through and through gunshot wound on his cheeks, was rushed to the Pablo O. Torre Memorial Hospital, where he is now confined, police records show.

Dejucos also reported the arrest of Jaime Villagracia, 44, of Sitio Balungay, Brgy, Montilla in Moises Padilla, Negros Occidental for having a .38 caliber revolver with four bullets at about 9:05 a.m. yesterday.

Villagracia was arrested at the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital after a concerned citizen reported to the police that he was carrying a firearm.*APN

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