‘Loyalty check not needed
among soldiers in Negros’

There is no need to conduct a loyalty check on Army soldiers in Negros and Panay, due to reports of former military officers allegedly trying to recruit active officers and soldiers, to overthrow President Benigno Aquino III , Capt. Reylan Java, military spokesman, said.

Java, chief of the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division Public Affairs Division, said they have not received reports of any attempt to recruit soldiers in destabilizing the Aquino administration.

“ There is no reason to do it,” he said, referring to the loyalty check among soldiers.

The 3ID, under Maj. Gen. Jose Mabanta, is supervising the internal peace and security operations of more than 7,000 soldiers and militiamen in Negros and Panay islands.

Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, a former Navy lieutenant who took part in efforts to overthrow the Arroyo administration in 2003 and 2007, said he received information from former colleagues that retired officers have used the "red scare” tactic — that the Aquino administration is emerging as a communist regime — in recruiting active officers and soldiers.

Trillanes said the recruitment started last year.

Java said the 3ID remains a professional organization, united and solid behind Aquino.

The military had earlier belied reports that exiled Communist Party of the Philippines leader Jose Maria Sison has returned to the Philippines, and was spotted in Negros and Panay.

The CPP, said in a statement, that the “so-called intelligence reports claiming that he (Sison) has slipped into to the Philippines are utterly lacking in intelligence”. *GPB

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Jobless man
nabbed in buy-bust

A jobless man was arrested by the police in a buy-bust operation at about 2:45 p.m. yesterday in Brgy. 35, Bacolod City.

Bacolod City Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Group team leader, Senior Insp. Joemarie Occeño, identified the suspect as Romeo Dipon, “alias Elsoy” of Purok Mapinalangaon.

Dipon was apprehended after he allegedly handed a small sachet of suspected shabu, in exchange for P300, to a police poseur-buyer while 11 additional small sachets of the banned substance were recovered from him when he was frisked, Occeño said.

He added that Dipon was the subject of a month-long surveillance on complaints from a concerned citizen that he is allegedly into illegal drugs operations.

Investigation showed that the drug being sold by Dipon came from the southern part of Bacolod City.

Charges for illegal drug sale and possession will be filed against Dipon, who is detained at the BCPO lock-up cell.*APN

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Cops apprehend
two wanted men

Two men were arrested by the police in Bacolod City and in Binalbagan town, Negros Occidental, for various offenses Friday and Monday.

Sandy Hernaez, “alias Sara”, 22, of Brgy. Payao, was arrested at about 2 p.m. Friday, by a Binalbagan town police team led by Senior Insp. Albert Sy by virtue of an arrest warrant, for acts of lasciviousness charges, issued by Iloilo Regional Trial Court Judge Edgardo Catilo, who set his bail at P180,000.

Hernaez was endorsed to Dumangas town police chief, Insp. Efren Deanon.

Station 3 policemen, meanwhile, nabbed a driver wanted for reckless imprudence resulting in homicide, at about 4:30 p.m. Monday, at the Bacolod City North terminal in Brgy. Bata.

Station 3 chief, Senior Insp. Jose Mulleta, identified the suspect as Nathaniel Almorade, 33, of Brgy. Cabatangan in Talisay City, Negros Occidental.

Almorade was arrested on the strength of a warrant issued by Municipal Trial Court in Cities Judge Reginald Fuentebella, who set his bail at P30,000.*APN

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