Feud triggers shooting
of couple in Himamaylan

A couple was shot and injured by their neighbor Wednesday in Brgy. Aguisan, Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental in an incident triggered by old grudges, police said.

The victims, identified as Glecerio Gallentes, 59, and his wife, Eufemia, 56, are now being treated for gunshot wounds at the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital in Bacolod City.

Police identified the suspect as Jerry Sitchon, alias Dodong, a neighbor of the victims, who fled after the shooting where he reportedly used a homemade shotgun.

The incident is being investigated by the Himamaylan police.

On the same day, a fragmentation grenade found at the shoreline of Brgy. Guinhalaran, Silay City, was turned over by barangay tanod Wennie Bernil to the city police station Wednesday.

Bernil told the police that he found the small bag containing the fragmentation grenade and some personal belongings at the barangay shoreline. *GPB

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IN NEG. OCC.
‘City, 2 towns
cleaned of NPA’

The New People’s Army in the hinterland areas of Escalante, Toboso and Calatrava (ESTOCA) have fled towards central and southern Negros, after the sustained military operations of the 62nd Infantry Battalion, Col. Jon Aying, 303rd Infantry Brigade commander, said.

For two months now, the ESTOCA area has been cleaned of armed insurgents, and this has been validated by former rebels who used to operate and live in those areas, Aying said.

He, however said they have received reports that the NPA in southern Negros sent some of their men to the northern part of the island, to replace their comrades.

The 303rd Infantry Brigade has fielded 20 Bayanihan teams in the ESTOCA area to assist in the development efforts in identified conflict-affected communities.

In the second phase of its Bayanihan program dubbed as Developing the Countrysides, Working with the People’, Aying said residents of ESTOCA conflict-affected areas called for an end to violence

He said there is need to improve the delivery of basic services to areas visited by the Provincial Peace and Integration Development Unit in northern Negros.

The Pro-PIDU recently extended P1.5 million in goods to NPA affected communities.

Aying said their military operations had been hampered by the two elections and the recent typhoon.

“To sustain the efforts, we have to win the hearts and minds of their remaining masa,” he said.

Majority of the 89 former NPA members who have surrendered to 303rd Infantry Brigade since 2011, used to operate in the ESTOCA areas. They have already availed of financial and livelihood assistance from the provincial government, through the efforts of Brig. Gen. Oscar Lactao, former 303IB commander, and Aying, his successor.*GPB

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FOR ‘PEACEFUL MASSKARA’
BCPO commendation
proposed in Congress

A resolution commending and congratulating the Bacolod City Police Office for a job well done during the 2013 MassKara Festival of Bacolod City last month, was proposed at the House of Representatives in Quezon City, Manila, recently.

The resolution, authored by Rep. Leopoldo Bataoil (Pangasinan, 2nd District) and based on the report of Senior Supt. Edgardo Ordaniel, BCPO acting city director, said the MassKara Festival that is being held each year in Bacolod, dubbed as the “City of Smiles”, highlights a unique street dancing competition, carnivals, sports events, beauty pageant, concerts, trade fairs and other special activities.

Ordaniel reportedly said the 34th MassKara Festival was held with great success on October 1-20, and was generally peaceful with no major incident taking place during the festivities.*SGG

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