IN KABANKALAN CITY
Minor gets 8 years
for slay of woman

Kabankalan Judge Henry Arles yesterday sentenced a 14-year-old boy to eight years maximum imprisonment after he pleaded guilty of stabbing to death a woman in Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental on May 13.

Arles sentenced Jony Tabasa to six years to eight years maximum imprisonment considering the privilege mitigating circumstance of minority, at the time the offense was committed.

He also ordered Tabasa to indemnify the heirs of Jocelyn Pajarillo P50,000 for her death and to pay the costs.

The court apprised the accused of the consequences of his plea of guilty, and that his plea was voluntary on his part, and not made through threats or intimidation.

Arles ordered that the sentence be suspended, and the accused, who is only 14 years old, be committed to the custody of the Department of Social Welfare and Development, or any training institution operated by the government until he reaches 21.

Meanwhile, Arles sentenced Roger Casipong Doriman to four years minimum to seven years maximum imprisonment for robbing the stores of Dolly Garcia and Florentina Lotilla Celiz in Hinoba-an town, Negros Occidental, court records showed.

Arles also meted Felomino Mondragon Dela Rosa four years minimum to six years maximum penalty for his participation in the robbery of the store of Garcia, where he took several items that cost a total of P72, 895 on Oct. 15, 2003.

On Aug. 1, 2001, Doriman and Melvin Antilado Noynay, who is still at-large, were accused of robbing the store of Celiz, by taking several items worth P11,587, court records said.

Doriman and Dela Rosa pleaded guilty to the offenses charged against them. The court said the case against Noynay will be sent to the archives and will be revived upon his apprehension.*DMG

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Sigay resident
nabbed for 'shabu'

Bacolod police director, Supt. Pedro Merced, yesterday presented a woman arrested for alleged possession of 20 elongated sachets of suspected shabu and drug paraphernalia at Purok Sigay, Brgy. 2, Bacolod City at about 1:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Merced said Betty Mahinay Bonza, alias "Vivian", was arrested by the Bacolod City Anti-Drugs Special Operation Task Group, 603rd Maritime Group and NISU for violation of Republic Act 9165, or Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

The Bacolod police swooped down on the residence of Bonza armed with search warrant issued by Judge Napoleon Diamante of the Municipal Trial Court in Cities, Branch 3, he said.

Recovered from Bonza were 20 elongated sachets of suspected shabu worth P450 each, a pair of scissors, an improvised straw allegedly used as shabu repacking paraphernalia, and P3,610 in cash believed to be proceeds of the illegal sale of shabu, he added.

The raid was witnessed by Brgy. 2 kagawad Serafin Oro Jr. and barangay tanod Manuel Abeloria, police reports also said.

Merced said his administration's target is to clean barangays of illegal drugs. He said he is planning to assign a special unit to conduct seal-off operations in these barangays.

He said police intelligence reports show that drugs transported to Bacolod City usually come from Manila and Cebu City through the southern part of Negros Occidental.

So far, Merced said, the BCPO has not yet monitored a shabu laboratory in the city. He said he is asking the public, especially barangay and city officials, to cooperate with the BCPO campaign against drugs.*DMG

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Merced orders probe
on cop facing rape raps

Bacolod City police director, Supt. Pedro Merced, yesterday said he has ordered Senior Insp. Joeresty Coronica, chief of the Bacolod Intelligence and Investigation Branch, to conduct a pre-charge investigation on PO2 Arcadio Balaba, who is accused of raping a 23-year-old seamstress in Bacolod City on Sept. 19.

Merced said he has directed Coronica to start the investigation to determine the administrative liability of Balaba. He also said he recalled Balaba from Police Precinct 3 and restricted him to the BCPO headquarters on Dec. 2. He also ordered him to return his issued firearm, he added.

If the results of the pre-charge investigation are forwarded to him, he will suspend Balaba for 30 days.

On Nov. 30, the complainant complained that she was raped and molested several times by Balaba at the Taculing Court in Brgy. Taculing, Bacolod City in September.

She sought the help of the Commission on Human Rights in filing charges against Balaba recently.*DMG

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