Woman collared in
shabu buy-bust

Another suspected drug peddler was nabbed by members of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in a buy-bust operation at a motel room in Bacolod City, yesterday.

Grace Mascuñana, 32, of Lopez Jaena Street, Brgy. 27, Bacolod, was cornered by PDEA members as she handed a small sachet of suspected shabu to an operative posing as a motel customer, in exchange for P500 in marked money at Room No. 107 of Taculing Court, in Brgy. Taculing, in the city, at about 11 a.m. yesterday.

Another small packet and three elongated sachets were also allegedly found on Mascuñana when she was frisked by the agents, PO2 Cirilo Baluma Jr., PDEA Negros Occidental officer-in-charge, said.

Mascuñana, who is now detained at Police Station 6, claimed that she was just a courier but Baluma said that they had been monitoring her before the operation because she is included in their watch list of illegal drugs pushers.

On Friday, two men were also apprehended by the PDEA and the police in a buy-bust operation that yielded 14 matchbooks of suspected marijuana leaves in Kabankalan City, in the province.

Baluma said they will try to file the charges against the two men today while the cases against Mascuñana will be lodged tomorrow.*PP

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Barias gets promotion

Police Director Geary Barias has been promoted to Deputy Director General, a rank equivalent to lieutenant general in the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

Barias, who is the Deputy Chief for Operation, yesterday took his oath of office before PNP chief Jesus Verzosa at Camp Crame in Metro Manila.

Police records show that Barias, then chief of the National Capital Region Police Office, was credited for the peaceful resolution of the Manila Peninsula Hotel standoff in Nov. 29, 2007, which involved detained Magdalo leader-turned Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV and Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim, former Army Scout Ranger Regiment commander.

His promotion was supposed to take effect almost a year ago when he was chief of the PNP directorial staff, after his stint as NCRPO chief.

However, it was delayed due to pending complaints against him before the Office of the Ombudsman, in connection with the Manila Peninsula standoff.

Under Republic Act 8551, or the PNP Reform and Reorganization Act of 1998, no police officer can be promoted if he has pending administrative or criminal charges before the Ombudsman, or in the court.

Barias served as provincial police director of Negros Occidental and later as regional police director of Western Visayas, before he was transferred to Metro Manila, police records also showed.

Barias who is now the third highest PNP officer, is expected to be second-in-command of the 118,000-strong PNP with the retirement of Deputy Director General Ismael Rafanan on March 2 as the Deputy Chief for Administration.*GPB

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AT BAR
5 collared in riot

Five persons, two of them minors, were taken into custody by the police after figuring in a riot at a drinking outfit in Bacolod City, during the weekend.

Three of the men came from Malunsi, Talisay City, Negros Occidental, while the others are residents of Brgy. Mandalagan, Bacolod, police records showed.

SPO1 Mario de la Torre, Police Station 2 investigator, said that the melee happened when the two men from Bacolod accidentally hit the Talisay residents while they were dancing at the Infinity Restobar at 21st-Lacson streets, in the city, at about 2 a.m. Sunday.

He said the guard of the establishment tried to pacify the two groups but failed.

The men broke beer bottles and plastic chairs as they attacked each other, police investigation showed.

De la Torre said both parties and the bar management agreed to settle the damages, including a part of the unpaid bill left by other customers who fled when the riot broke out.

The Bacolod police has been reminding drinking establishments not to allow minors to purchase and drink liquor.*PP

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