Pa meted 17 years
for daughter’s death
BY ADRIAN NEMES III

The call center agent who is facing parricide charges for the death of his 6-year-old daughter was meted 14 years and 8 months to 17 years in prison by Regional Trial Court Branch 43 Judge Philadelfa Pagapong Agraviador after he pleaded guilty during his re-arraignment, City ProsecutorAmando Abanado said yesterday.

Abanado said that Bernard Nolan, 28,of B.S. Aquino Drive, Bacolod City would have been sentenced to reclusion perpetua, or 40 years of imprisonment, but because he pleaded guilty, his sentence was reduced.

Abanado said Nolan informed him through a letter that he intended to enter a plea bargaining agreement. Abanado forwarded Nolan’s letter to the Department of Justice and it was approved by Prosecutor General Claro Arellano.

Two of the three suspects in the killing of two civilians, and taking P125,000 in payroll money in Brgy. Santa Teresa, Manapla, Negros Occidental, have been arrested by the police.

Senior Inspector Edencio Gregorio, Manapla police chief, yesterday said the two suspects, identified as Lloyd Besonia, 24, and Jim Boy Trabajador, 19, were positively identified by three witnesses, as the ones behind the fatal shooting of Eddie Basa and Julie Biating on June 9, and who also took payroll money at gunpoint from Ma. Teresa Basa, wife of Eddie.

Gregorio said Besonia was arrested Tuesday night in Hacienda Guinolayan, while Trabajador was apprehended yesterday in Hacienda Emma, all in Brgy. Tortosa, Manapla.

The arrest and filing of charges against a DepEd District Supervisor assigned in Cadiz City did not come as a surprise to Cadiznons because of numerous other cases he has been facing in the city, Negros Occidental Board Member Salvador Escalante, former Cadiz City Mayor, said yesterday.

On June 5 the police filed charges for illegal drug use and violation of Republic Act 7610, or child abuse, before the Bacolod City Prosecutor’s Office against Joshua Santillana, 55, who has since been released on bail.

Two male teenagers, both 16, whose names are being withheld, were rescued from the “drug den” after the father of one of them claimed that Santillana was inducing the minors to take drugs, hiring commercial sex workers for them, and sexually molesting them.