IN KABANKALAN
Robbery with homicide raps
lodged versus two in hold-up

Charges for robbery with homicide were filed against the two suspects in the recent robbery and shooting incidents in Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental, police chief Supt. Calixto Mabugat said.

Mabugat yesterday identified the respondents in the complaint filed before the Kabankalan City Prosecutors Office, as Bonifacio Galagate Jr. and Richard Gonzales, driver of the getaway vehicle.

Galagate allegedly shot to death Celso Cari-an Sr., alleged bodyguard of Cheryl Begota, the secretary of sugar trader Herminia Ledesma, who was divested of P2 million in cash at gunpoint on Feb. 15, in Kabankalan City.

Mabugat said the two suspects were nowhere to be found, but the police are exerting efforts to locate them.

Galagate is the son of former rebel leader Bonifacio Galagate, while Gonzales has a pending case for violation of Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drug Act of 2002 , police records showed.

Mabugat said Gonzales, who is facing drug-related charges, but is out on bail, was positively identified by a witness as the driver of the getaway vehicle, that he and Galagate used in fleeing from the crime scene.

Cari-an, 67, tried to stop the two suspects from getting the bag of Begota, 32, when he was shot, investigations of the Kabankalan police also showed.

Mabugat asked the public to report the presence of Galagate and Gonzales, to the nearest police station if they are sighted.*GPB

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‘No. 5 wanted
pusher’ nabbed

An “elusive” drug suspect tagged as the number 5 most-wanted in Bacolod City, was apprehended by Station 1 policemen in her house in Brgy. 27, Bacolod City at about 5 p.m. Saturday.

Chief Insp. Adonis Rosales, Station 1 commander, identified the suspecs as Gladys Pepino, “alias Cutie”, 27, of Purok Starapple.

Rosales said Pepino was apprehended by virtue of an arrest warrant issued by Regional Trial Court Judge Edgar Garvilles for violation of Sections 5 and 11 of Republic Act 9165 or, the sale and possession of illegal drugs.

Garvilles denied Pepino bail for illegal drug sale charges while he set P120,000 as bail for illegal drug possession charges, the police said.

Police records show that operatives of the Bacolod City Police Office Anti-Illegal Drugs Task Group failed to arrest Pepino when they conducted a drug raid at her residence on December 9, 2010.

It added that before the raid, an operative acted as a poseur-buyer and was able to purchase a plastic sachet of suspected shabu from Pepino for P300, but when she sensed that she was dealing with the police, she ran and escaped.

Police Officer 3 Claro Gordoncillo of CAIDSTOG said Pepino is in their drugs watch list and had been arrested by operatives of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency several years ago.*APN

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Police seize P7,500
worth of coco lumber

A total of 600 board feet of coconut lumber, with market value estimated at P7,500 was seized by Station 5 policemen at about 10:05 p.m. Saturday in Brgy. Granada, Bacolod City.

Station 5 chief, Senior Insp. Neil Exaltado, said a concerned citizen called the station and informed them that a passenger jeep, loaded with coconut lumber was on its way to Bacolod City.

Exaltado said the team, led by Senior Police Officer 4 Johnny Herboso and duty investigator Police Officer 1 Roberto Pineda was dispatched to Montelibano Street, in front of the sub-station of the Bureau of Fire Protection, to intercept the jeepney that was driven by Kristoffer Tarosan, 27, of Sitio Buro in Brgy. Granada. He told the police that the lumbers were from Talisay City.

Exaltado said Tarosan presented the permit to cut, issued by Brgy. Cabatangan in Talisay City, but failed to show documents allowing him to transport the logs from Talisay to Bacolod City.

He added that Tarosan was not taken into police custody but the jeepney and the lumber were seized and endorsed to the Philippine Coconut Authority.*APN

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