Pedicab driver nabbed
for raping 14-year-old

The molestation of a minor at the Center Mall in Brgy. Palampas, San Carlos City, Negros Occidental on April 9, was considered solved by the police with the arrest of the suspect, barely four hours after the crime was committed.

San Carlos police chief Ricardo de la Paz yesterday identified the suspect who has been charged with rape, as Richard Bolo, 20, and a "habal-habal (pedicab)" driver and resident of Canlaon City, Oriental Negros.

Police investigations show that Bolo offered a ride to the minor, a 14-year-old, who was waiting for her sister at a bus terminal in San Carlos.

Instead of bringing the minor home, the suspect took a different route and brought the victim to a dark place at Center Mall, where the molestation took place, De la Paz said.

The victim who managed to escape later, sought the help of another pedicab driver who brought her home, police investigations also showed.

The victim immediately reported her ordeal to Police Officers 1 Elizabeth Lopez and Joaquin Ballesteros, who led in the arrest of Bolo.*GPB

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NOPPO eyes
inventory of firearms

An inventory of firearms issued to 1,300 policemen in Negros Occidental is now underway.

The order was given by Senior Supt. Charles Calima, police provincial director, to all police chiefs and mobile group directors in the wake of reports that a Silay policeman had pawned the M-16 armalite rifle issued to him.

Calima said he does not want a repetition of the incident involving two policemen assigned in Salvador Benedicto and Silay who had used their firearms as collateral for securing a loan.

PO3 Lemuel Benetua, a member of the Silay police SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics), has been placed under technical arrest by Supt. Celestino Guara, Silay police chief, for allegedly pistol-whipping Noli Junsay, an asset of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, on April 7.

Benetua is also in hot water for his failure to account for his M-16 assault rifle, which was reportedly pawned by his brother-in-law, Bobby Tiongco, at P5,000 to a certain Rogelio Lamis, and to another person for a similar amount, without his consent.

Guara said 14 policemen failed to attend the showdown inspection at the Silay police headquarters yesterday because some of them were off-duty. The inspection will continue today, he added.

While he received reports that Benetua and Junsay may amicably settle their differences, Guara said Benetua may be possibly held liable for charges of grave abuse of authority and malversation of public property.

Calima also ordered Chief Inspector Alan Servida, deputy provincial director for operations, to include SPO3 Prudencio Panagsagan, Silay PNP desk officer, who had witnessed and allegedly did nothing to pacify Benetua, in the investigation.

Guara said he may lift the order placing Benetua under technical arrest tomorrow.*GPB

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Bacoleña's bag stolen

A Bacolod resident reported to Police Precinct 1 that her bag was stolen by an unidentified man believed to be gay at the Boardwalk store at Araneta-Rosario streets in Bacolod City at noon yesterday.

Gina Pineda Cardinal, 22, single, of Purok Magayon, Brgy. Sum-ag, Bacolod City, told the police that a "gay" person who stands about 5 feet and 6 inches tall approached and befriended her, police reports said.

She said the suspect invited her to go to a store where they talked. She said she left her bag with the suspect and went outside to buy something, but, to her surprise, the gay was nowhere to found, when she returned.

She said she suspected the gay person as the one who took her bag containing a Nokia 3315 cellphone worth P3,000 and P60 in cash, police reports said.

Meanwhile, Jennylyn Malapitan Guilaran, 21, single, of Brgy. Poblacion, Valladolid town, Negros Occidental also reported to Police Precinct 1 that her bag was also stolen by a gay person while she was in a boutique in Bacolod City at about 3 p.m. Monday.

Guilaran said she left her bag with a certain Buddy Escario, of Bantayan Island, Cebu to try on a dress in a fitting room. She said she was surprised when she found out that Escario had left without telling her.

She said she suspected Escario as the one who took her bag containing a Nokia 2100 cellphone and important documents, police reports said.*DMG

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