Seaman ‘accidentally’
shoots sister in head
BY GILBERT BAYORAN

A heated altercation between two brothers ended in tragedy Monday, when their sister who tried to pacify them, was accidentally shot in the head, at a residential compound in Brgy. 2, EB Magalona, Negros Occidental, police said yesterday.

Senior Inspector Arnold Mesias, EB Magalona police officer-in-charge, yesterday said the victim, identified as Thelma de los Santos, was declared dead on arrival at the Teresita Lopez Jalandoni Provincial Hospital in Silay City, from a gunshot wound in the head.

Police investigation showed that Nemesio Villaruel, who reportedly had a gun, and his brother, Aldin, had a heated altercation over a debt.

A former kagawad tagged as one of the suspects in the kidnapping and murder of former Barangay Pahanocoy Captain Eleuterio Salabas and two others in Bacolod City in 2003 was arrested by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group and Station 3 policemen at his residence in Brgy. Bata yesterday.

The arrested suspect was identified as former Brgy. 2 Kagawad Elson Canete, 49, who is now a resident of Tongoy village in Brgy. Bata, by CIDG-Bacolod head, Chief Insp. Ernor Melegareho.

Melegareho said they arrested Canete at about 3 p.m. yesterday on the strength of an arrest warrant issued by Judge Mario Trinidad of Regional Trial Court Branch 64 of Guihulngan, Negros Oriental, who denied him bail.

The Ombudsman has dismissed the estafa charges filed against Silay Mayor Jose “Oti” Montelibano and Balaring Barangay Captain Jocelyn Doromal.

The Ombudsman upheld an earlier resolution of the Office of the City Prosecutor of Silay dismissing a complaint of Melanie Bulalacao against the mayor and the barangay captain for allegedly taking 26 kilograms of diwal shells from her on March 2, 2010 for their own use and benefit against her will.

Montelibano and Doromal, in denying that they committed estafa, said the diwal shells were actually confiscated from the complainant for violation of several city ordinances regulating fishing activities in Silay City.