Cops apprehend suspect in
hold-up of call center agent

An alleged hold-upper was arrested at about 12:40 a.m. yesterday in a follow-up operation in Barangay 3, Bacolod City, after he robbed a call center agent Wednesday night at the junction of 17 th and Lacson streets.

Police identified the suspect as Allan Mark Braganza, 26, of Purok Cereza North in Brgy. 3, who was nabbed on the complaint of Sherwin Mae Verde, 24, of CSY Building at 17 th Street, and employed by the Telesynergy call center.

Verde claimed that she was with her friends Janine Marie Bocateja, 20, and Enrico Tatad Jr., 19, and were waiting for a jeepney, when Braganza approached her and declared a hold-up.

She said Braganza grabbed her bag that contained a cellular phone valued at P7,000, identification cards and bunch of keys, then fled.

Verde immediately reported the incident to Station 2 policemen, who conducted a hot pursuit operation and arrested Braganza, who was having drinks with his two unidentified friends in Purok Cereza South.

Braganza is now detained at the lock-up cell of Police Station 2 and charges are readied against him.

Meanwhile, Senior Supt. Ricardo de la Paz, director of the Bacolod City Police Office, reminded taxi drivers and operators to take extra precautionary measures, following the mugging of a taxi driver in Brgy. Tangub, Bacolod, Tuesday.

Gelbert Gallego, 46, of Bangga Yap in Brgy. Singcang-Airport and employed by RG Taxi, said a man and a woman rode his taxi in front of the Rusi motorcycle store, adding that the man strangled him while the companion frisked his pockets and took P1,500 in cash.

De la Paz said the suspects behind the robbery of Gallego may belong to a different group, as the police already neutralized other notorious robbers in Bacolod, or they may only be “robbers by chance”, in that they need money for their vices.*APN

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2 arrested in
drugs buy-bust

Two men were arrested in an anti-illegal drugs raid conducted by the Bacolod City Police Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Group, at about 5 p.m. Wednesday, in Brgy. 41 this city.

CAIDSOG head, Supt. Santiago Rapiz, identified those arrested as Arnold Umadhay, 29, and Arturo Villacuarto, 34, both of Purok 8, Brgy. 41.

Umadhay was nabbed after he handed a small plastic sachet of suspected shabu to a police poseur-buyer, in exchange for P300. Rapiz said they also seized P1,200 in cash that was kept in the wallet recovered from the possession of Umadhay.

CAIDSOG members also seized several small plastic sachets of suspected shabu from Villacuarto, who, Rapiz claimed, is the assistant of Umadhay in his illegal drugs operation.

Umadhay and Villacuarto have been under surveillance following information that they are into illegal drugs use. The two are now in police custody and will be facing charges for violation of Republic Act 9165 or the Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.*APN

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Create anti-illegal logging
task forces, PENROs told

Provincial and Community Environment Officers in Region 6 have been ordered to organize anti-illegal logging task forces in the provincial, city and municipal levels not later than May 15, 2012 based on a resolution signed by members the Regional Anti-Illegal Logging Task Force-Western Visayas.

Resolution No. 2012-002, Series of 2012 on the mechanics of operation for anti-illegal logging campaign within the jurisdiction of Region 6, was signed on May 8, 2012 by Environment and Natural Resources regional director Julian Amador, Interior and Local Government regional director Evelyn Trompeta, Police Regional Office 6 director Chief Supt. Cipriano Querol Jr. and 3 rd Infantry Division commander Maj. Gen. Jose Mabanta Jr.

The RAILTF was formed on April 12, 2011 and is composed of the DENR regional director, as chairperson, the DILG regional director as vice-chairperson, the Philippine National Police regional director and the commanders of the 3 rd Infantry Division, 301 st and 303 rd Brigades of the Philippine Army as members.

RAILTF is the implementing arm of the government for the anti-illegal logging mandate.

President Benigno Aquino III issued Executive Order No. 23 on February 1, 2011 that declared a moratorium on the cutting and harvesting of timber in the natural and residual forests, and creating the anti-illegal logging task force.

The RAILTF will enforce the logging moratorium, lead the anti-illegal logging campaign of the government, and assist the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in the enforcement of other environmental laws.

Mabanta said the whole 3 rd ID is being deputized by the DENR for its anti-illegal logging concerns, and other environmental issues.

Col. Oscar Lactao, commanding officer of the 303 rd Infantry Brigade, said they will focus their operations on the Mt. Kanlaon National Park and the Northern Negros National Park, in coordination with the Provincial Environment Management Office, Task Force Ilahas, and the DENR-Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office.*CGS

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