Escapee recaptured,
7 others apprehended

A jail inmate who fled from his security escorts while attending a court hearing in Himamaylan City, and seven others with pending arrest warrants in court, were arrested by policemen in Negros Occidental, police yesterday said.

Inmate Gener Pido who is facing rape charges, escaped while he and his two security escorts, Orlando Besconte and Monilon Saonoy, were having breakfast at the canteen of the Himamaylan City Hall of Justice, on Tuesday.

Supt. Antonietto Cañete, Himamaylan police chief, however, said Pido, who hid in a sugarcane field behind the Hall of Justice, was recaptured by policemen after almost five hours of pursuit operations.

Noli Mercado was arrested by policemen for illegal possession and discharge of firearms in San Carlos City.

Supt. Harold Tuzon, San Carlos police chief, yesterday said a .45 caliber pistol was taken from Mercado, who is now locked up in jail.

Two empty shells of .45 caliber pistol were also recovered by policemen of San Carlos.

The six persons arrested for various offenses in Hinoba-an, Moises Padilla, cities of Escalante, Bago and Bacolod, were Imelda Alracio, Apostolito Villaruz, Marlon Anino, Ariel Valencia, Dionesio Gawan and Elena Sancho.*GPB.

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BCPO gives awards
for PCR celebration      

Awards were given to Bacolod City Police Office personnel and other individuals at the closing of the month-long 14th Police Community Relations celebration, Monday, a BCPO press release said.

SPO4 Marilou Alfonso of Police Station 6 was named the “Longest Serving PCR Police Non-Commissioned Officer”; SPO2 Laarni Cimatu (Station 4), “Best Senior PCR PNCO”; PO2 Michael Awit (Station 9), “Best Junior PCR PNCO”; and Police Station 7 under Insp. Reynaldo Auditor as “Most Citizen Friendly Police Station” in Bacolod.

Certificates of appreciation were also given to Pastors Arcon Marin of Hillside Evangelical Church; Von John Sanchez, Heber Bacolod and Luisito Tomado of the Negros Occidental Conference of the Seventh Day Adventist Churches;

The Young Adventist League; Ferdinand and Rosebelle Dedel - Light of Life Christian Fellowship; Pastor Lemuel Losoc - Downtown Christian Church; Godofredo Daa Jr.; Benito Pakingking; Marlon Oñas;

Imam Omar Betita of Al-Dhikr Islamic Call and Guidance Center; Bacolod Crimestoppers Incorporated; Bantay Bayan Foundation Inc. and the Community Movement and Reaction Against Crime and Illegal Drugs Inc. for their support to the PCR Branch of the police, the press release added.*

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4 nabbed for drugs

The two suspected drug peddlers and their two companions who were nabbed Saturday for violation of Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 in Hinigaran and Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental, tested positive for marijuana use, police records show.

The four, identified as Ernie Jamon, Joey Charles Caballero, Valentin Afod and Ace Neil Granada who were subjected to examination at the PNP Crime Laboratory, are now locked up in jail.

Chief Insp. Rico Santotome, anti-narcotics chief of the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office, said Caballero and Jamon were arrested in buy-bust operations, while Afod and Granada were caught in the act of smoking marijuana cigarets in Kabankalan, during the weekend.

Supt. Lazaro Sumague, provincial chief of the PNP Crime Laboratory, however, said a confirmatory test will be conducted on the suspects to validate the results of the initial drug testing.

The separate buy-bust operations yielded an estimated 60 grams of suspected dried marijuana leaves, police records also showed.

Section 15 of RA 9165 states that those found positive for drug use after a confirmatory test, will face a penalty of a minimum of six months rehabilitation in a government center for the first offender, imprisonment of a maximum of 12 years and a fine ranging from P50,000 to P200,000, if he or she is arrested for a similar offense for the second time.

Santotome said drug charges will be filed today against the four jailed suspects, which carries the penalty of a life imprisonment for selling prohibited drugs and a fine ranging from P500,000 to P10 million.*GPB

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