NOPPO head justifies shooting
of drug suspect in Manapla

Senior Supt. Milko Lirazan, provincial police director of Negros Occidental, justified what Senior Inspector Antonio Benitez did to a suspect, who shot him during a buy-bust operation in Manapla.

Benitez, who is assigned at the Intelligence Branch of the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office, and PO2 Theo Nick Dioso, were allegedly shot by the suspect, later identified as Herman dela Cruz, who had initially evaded arrest after the buy-bust operation.

De la Cruz, who was hit during an alleged shoot-out with Benitez, is now being treated at the Doctor’s Hospital in Bacolod City.

Lirazan said Benitez did not violate the provisions of the Rules of Engagement, stressing that it was natural for a law enforcer to fight back after being fired upon, in the course of law enforcement operations.

Before the alleged shoot-out, two other suspects, identified as Joselito de la Cruz and Argie Veloso, were also arrested during a buy-bust operation on Nov.1 in Brgy 2-A, Manapla.

Herman, however, managed to evade arrest, and later allegedly engaged in a shoot-out with policemen, Chief Inspector Rico Santotome, chief of the Provincial Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force, said.

Recovered from the suspects were eight elongated plastic sachets of suspected shabu with a street value of P8, 000, P4, 328 in cash believed to be proceeds from their illegal drug trade, two cellphones used in their transactions as well as illegal drugs paraphernalia.

Lirazan said Herman refused to be subjected to paraffin tests, while de la Cruz and Veloso underwent drug testing at the PNP Crime Laboratory in Bacolod City.

Charges for violation of RA 9165 will be filed against the three suspects, with an additional complaint of frustrated murder are expected to be lodged against Herman.* GPB

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Gun, ‘shabu’ seized
in buy-bust

An improvised shotgun, or “sulpak”, was recovered from a drug suspect arrested in a buy-bust operation by the Bacolod City Police Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Group in Brgy. Singcang Airport Bacolod at about 1:30 p.m. yesterday.

CAIDSTOG head, Supt. Santiago Rapiz identified the suspect as Jummel Camento, 24, of Purok Neptune in Brgy. Singcang-Airport, who was nabbed after he handed a small plastic sachet of suspected shabu to a police poseur buyer in exchange for P300.

Aside from the sachet of the banned substance and a gun, two cellular phones, a tooter and a lighter were also recovered from Camento during his arrest, police records show.

Rapiz said Camento has been on their watch list and had been arrested in June this year while having a pot session at a house in Purok Neptune.

Charges for illegal drug sale will be filed against Camento, who is now detained at the BCPO headquarters lock-up cell.*APN

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5 cops, 2 brgy. officials lauded

Five personnel of the Bacolod Police Women and Children’s Protection Desk, and two officials of Brgy. 2 in the city received efficiency medals at Camp Martin Delgado in Iloilo City yesterday for the arrest of the suspected kidnapper of a baby at the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Hospital last month.

Police Regional Office-6 Director Chief Supt. Agrimero Cruz presented the awards to WCPD chief Insp. Jovy Cabcaban, Senior Police Officer 3 Arlyn Torrendon, and Police Officers 2 Jennifer Liba, Rolina Escobia and Rema Demirin.

Cabcaban and her personnel arrested Lilet Letija, 22, of Purok Riverbank, Brgy. Villamonte, Bacolod City, three days after she kidnapped a baby boy from his mother at the hospital on September 21.

Investigation showed that Letija had planned the kidnapping because she had bought infant wear, clothes and toys days before she took the baby, whom she presented as her own son to the relatives of her husband, Bacolod City Police Director Senior Supt. Ricardo de la Paz said.

Kidnapping charges have been filed against Letija before the Bacolod City Prosecutor’s Office.*APN

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