Fire hits subdivision, BFP
estimates damage at P.5M

Half a million pesos worth of properties were turned to ashes when fire hit a single storey residential house at Regent Pearl Homes Subdivision in Brgy. Alijis, Bacolod City, at about 4:07 p.m. Friday.

Fire Officer 1 Anthonty Banay, duty arson investigator, said the fire originated from the room in the house owned by Joy Baredo and being rented by Florentino Panganiban.

Arson investigator Fire Officer 3 Cornelio Silva said the fire could have been caused by an electrical short circuit.

Two fire trucks from the BFP were dispatched to the area, assisted by those of the Chamber and Amity fire volunteer brigades. The fire, that reached first alarm status, was eventually put out at about 4:40 p.m. with no one reported injured, the BFP reported.

On Friday, Bacolod City deputy fire marshal Insp. Publio Ploteña reminded the public anew to ensure that old electrical wires or cables are replaced, and electrical connections are checked by licensed electricians.

Ploteña also said it is important to unplug all electrical appliances when not being used to avoid fire incidents.

Fire also hit a house at Jesusa Heights Subdivision, Brgy. Estefania, Bacolod City, at about 10:05 p.m. Thursday, and caused an estimated half a million pesos damage to properties.*APN

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Robbery, illegal gun raps filed
against former traffic enforcer

Charges for robbery and illegal possession of firearms were filed against a former traffic enforcer before the Bacolod City Prosecutor’s Office last week, police records showed yesterday.

Charged was Raymund Ochoa, 36, of Hacienda Rosario in Brgy. Granada, Station 5 chief, Senior Insp. Richie Gohee, said in his report to the Bacolod City Police Office.

Gohee said evidence presented against Ochoa included the affidavits of his victims Jifon Operiano, 27, of Purok Progresso in Brgy. Taculing, Bacolod, and his employer, Kuwinder Singh, 37, of Capitol Hills in Brgy. Estefania, Bacolod; and the improvised shotgun or “sulpak” seized from him.

Operiano said he and Singh were on their way to Brgy. Granada proper when Ochoa blocked their way, threatened them with a gun, declared a hold-up, took P1,270 in cash and fled towards the sugarcane plantation near the road.

Ochoa was arrested in a follow-up operation at the sugarcane plantation.*APN

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Affidavit-drafting
seminar conducted

Thirty policemen and women from Negros Occidental and law students from the University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos and the University of St. La Salle-Bacolod participated in the two-day affidavit-drafting assistance seminar-workshop at the Planta Centro Hotel in Bacolod City, recently.

Negros Occidental PNP spokesperson Chief Insp. Rico Santotome Jr. said in a press release that the activity was a project of the Department of Justice with assistance from the U.S. Department of Justice and the Office of the Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training.

Resource persons were Prosecutor Eldred Cole of Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental, Supt. Noel Mana-ay of the Cadiz City PNP, Maria Mercedes Saril of UNO-R and dean Ralph Sarmiento of the USLS School of Law, the press release said.

It added that NOPPO OIC director Senior Supt. Milko Lirazan and John Paolo Villasor of UNO-R thanked DOJ Attaché Robert Courtney III of the US Embassy for inviting law students to the seminar-workshop.*

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