A policeman was arrested yesterday by operatives of the Bacolod City Police Office Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Group when he was allegedly caught having a pot session with five other men at about 2:45 p.m. in a residence in Brgy. 2, Bacolod City.

The arrested policeman was identified by BCPO Director Senior Supt. Cestino Guara as Police Officer 1 Mark Anthony Pestolante, 32, of Brgy. Daga in Cadiz City.

Pestolante, who is assigned at the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office Public Safety Management Company, refused to give statements and denied being a policeman when the DAILY STAR interviewed him at the lock-up cell of BCPO headquarters.

Police Station 1 commander Chief Insp. Luisito Acebuche yesterday said they will investigate the real cause of the death of an American national who died  Monday.

Acebuche, who withheld the name of the American, said they will verify the cause of his death as they have received reports that he died due to the intake of a sex enhancement medicine.

He said the American, 69, and his Filipina wife checked in at the O Hotel in Bacolod on December 8 as they were preparing for their wedding on December 28.

A man who attempted to kill a radio broadcaster on 2009 in Bacolod City was arrested for shooting four students and a trisikad driver in front of the University of St. La Salle Tuesday and Monday.

Station 4 chief, Senior Insp. Leilani Garcia yesterday identified the arrested suspect as Diosdado Vertucio, 26, a tricycle driver, of Brgy. Tigbon in Calatrava, and now a resident of Talisay City, Negros Occidental

Garcia said Police Officer 1 Michael Jalapa arrested Vertucio at about 6:15 p.m. Tuesday in front of gate number 2 of USLS after he allegedly shot and injured trisikad driver Ernesto Delfin, 39, of Purok Cubay, Brgy. Villamonte, Adelbert Pelegrino, 18, of Purol Lerio, Brgy.  Taculing, Bacolod, and Arckie Embang, 19, of Hacienda Maria Cecilia, Moises Padilla, Negros Occidental.