The former policeman, now a member of the Moro Nationalist Liberation Front, nabbed for usurpation of authority in Brgy. Bata, Bacolod City, last week is indeed one of those who staged the P3.6 million heist at the Central Negros Electric Cooperative in March.

City Police Director Senior Supt. Ricardo de la Paz confirmed yesterday that their source said Joseph Basco Lontayao , 41, of Brgy. Fatima, in General Santos City was seen at the safe house of the Dipolog-Ozamiz-Parohinog crime group after the robbery in CENECO

Lontayao also has a similarity to a certain “Joseph Calaramo”, one of the 12 suspects charged in the CENECO robbery.

“Once we are able to establish that Calaramo and Lontayao is the same person, we will amend the charges we filed in court”, de la Paz said.

He admitted that they were alarmed by the presence of Lontayao, a bomb expert, and his companions in the city.

Station 3 policemen led by Senior Insp. Jose Mulleta filed charges for usurpation of authority against Lontayao at the Bacolod City Prosecutor's Office yesterday.

Lontayo introduced himself as a police inspector when arrested at Bangga C.P. near the Palawan pawnshop at about 11:30 a.m. Thursday. Asked for proof, however, he presented an identification card showing that he is only a Police Officer 2.

De la Paz said they checked Lontayao's records in Camp Crame and learned that he passed when he applied to become a police inspector through lateral entry but failed to take his oath because he was apprehended for frustrated murder.

Lontayao is also facing attempted homicide and parricide, and acts of lasciviousness charges, police records show.

Different intelligence units, including the National Bureau of Investigation, are conducting a record check so they will know Lontayao's true identity, De la Paz added.*APN

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