Sagay PNP bust 'syndicate'
behind series of wire thefts
CITY GOV'T LOSSES REACH P1 MILLION

The police yesterday claimed to have busted an organized crime group believed responsible for the series of electric wire pilferage incidents in Sagay City, Negros Occidental, with the arrest of its six members and the recovery of stolen items.

Supt. William Señoron said the Sagay City government incurred losses estimated at P1 million in two months because of the thefts.

Arrested in a two-day operation of the Sagay police were Joebert Moreno, Gino Magdali, Antonio Abunda, Candelario Moreno, Michael Alpar, and George Justo.

Señoron said the arrest also led to the recovery of five sacks of stolen wires, most of which came from the street lights of Sagay.

Police reports show Joebert Moreno and Magdali were arrested on Aug. 18 by policemen at Avanceña Street in Sagay City, while in the act of stealing electric wires of street lights.

Five companions of the arrested suspects identified as Anthony Abunda, Michael and Elsa Alpar, Dodoy Ibañez and Ramil Dacal-Dacal managed to escape but 35 meters of electric wires were recovered by the police from Moreno and Magdali.

Follow-up operations made by the Sagay police based on information provided by the suspects led to the apprehension of Abunda, Moreno, Justo and Michael Alpar, the next day, Señoron said.

The Sagay police is also filing charges for violation of the anti-fencing law against couple Gerry and Rosemarie Caballero, owners of the junk shop, that bought the stolen wires, he added.

Señoron said they also recovered 3.25 kilos of copper wires from the junkshop of Caballero, believed to be part of the electric wires stolen by the suspects.

Robbery charges are also being readied by the Sagay police against the five suspects who are now locked up in jail.*GPB

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Multiple raps readied
vs. 3 for forgery

Multiple charges are being readied against the three persons arrested by the Provincial Anti-Illegal Task Force in an entrapment operation in Bacolod City Wednesday for allegedly manufacturing fake security licenses and other documents in Negros Occidental.

Senior Insp. Argel Ancheta, PAITF chief, yesterday told the DAILY STAR, they will file charges for falsification of commercial documents and violation of section 176 of the Revised Penal Code and Republic Act 5487 against the suspects.

On Wednesday, the PAITF operatives apprehended George Jainga Seruelo, 44, married, of Purok Cameroli, Brgy. 35; Marjovic Gore dela Torre, 37, of Brgy. Alangilan; and Mark Hofable Gore, 29, married, of Brgy. Airport, all in Bacolod City, police reports said.

Ancheta said the Land Bank of the Philippines management and the Counselor's Desk, a testing center in Bacolod City have confirmed that the special bank receipts and neuro-psychological assessment and counseling test results, recovered from the suspects, were fake.

He said the LBP is contemplating to file forgery charges against the suspects who are now detained in the lock-up cell of Police Precinct 1.*DMG

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Man nabbed for loose gun

A supervisor of hacienda laborers was arrested yesterday by the police in Hacienda Maritaldan 2, Brgy. Consing, E.B. Magalona, for illegal possession of firearms.

Senior Inspector Santiago Rapiz, E.B. Magalona police chief, identified the person arrested as Hernando Selorio, a supervisor of Hacienda Maritaldan 2 laborers.

The raid on the house of Selorio, which was covered by a search warrant issued by Judge Evelyn Gengos, yielded a homemade .38 caliber revolver with two empty shell.

Rapiz said a complaint from a farm worker of the hacienda, who claimed to have been threatened with a gun by Selorio, had prompted him to secure a search warrant from Gengos. Selorio is now detained at the E.B.Magalona Police Station Jail.*GPB

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