Bacolod police warn public
vs. organized crime groups

Intelligence monitoring by the Bacolod City police showed that several organized crime groups involved in pick-pocket, swindling, car burglaries and proliferation of fake money, are now in the city obviously to victimize the 33rd MassKara Festival revelers, City Police Director Senior Supt. Ricardo de la Paz, admitted yesterday.

De la Paz said the members of the group, who have local contacts, are from Iloilo, Samar, Cebu, Dumaguete, Metro Manila and are now staying in their hideouts while waiting for the highlights of the MassKara Festival.

He, however, refused to say how many groups have been noted to have arrived in Bacolod, saying that doing so would compromise their efforts to arrest them.

A man believed to be part of the group circulating fake money was, in fact, apprehended by Station 10 policemen at about 7:20 p.m. after he bought some goods from the convenience store of a gasoline station in Brgy. Handumanan, Bacolod, he said.

De la Paz identified the apprehended suspect as Alex Centino Santos, 35, of Bogongan, Eastern Samar, and from whom two fake P1,000 bills, both with serial numbers BR712908, were seized.

The police said they are also investigating if the two men who also used a fake P1,000 bill to purchase goods from another store in Brgy. Handumanan is a companion of Santos.

De la Paz said they are not sure if the companions of Santos are still in Bacolod as he is uncooperative. Santos will be charged for violation of Article 168 of the Revised Code of the Philippines, he added.

As the highlights of the festival are nearing, de la Paz said, incidents like this may occur, so it is important that the public is vigilant and security-conscious.

But he added that the MassKara Festival remains peaceful, so far, with no untoward incident reported.*APN

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Four injured in
road accident

Four were injured when a motorcycle and a Tamaraw FX vehicle collided at the Araneta Highway in front of the Metrodome Plaza Building in Bacolod City at about 10 p.m. Tuesday.

Traffic investigator, Police Officer 3 Docelio Pachoro, said that Alfonso Dy, 54, of Bago City, Negros Occidental, who was driving the Tamaraw FX, was heading north of Araneta Street when he made a left turn and collided with the approaching motorcycle, driven by Attreo Hacshan Tio, 23, of Brgy. Tangub, Bacolod.

The impact caused Tio and his father, Hanz, 45, to be thrown off from the motorcycle, Pachoro said.

Aside from the Tios, who were wearing crash helmets, the employees of Dy, identified as John Labares and Arnel Junio, who were on board the Tamaraw Fx, were also injured.

Those injured are now confined at the Bacolod Adventist Medical Center but none of them are reported to be in serious condition, Pachoro said.

Bacolod City Traffic Management head, Chief Insp. Luisito Acebuche, reminded motorists yesterday to be extra careful, especially because it is rainy season and the roads are mostly wet.*APN

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