Police recover fighting
cocks, guns, marijuana from suspects

Five suspects were apprehended yesterday, two for allegedly stealing several fighting cocks, and others for possession of an improvised firearm, locally known as "sumpak" and marijuana sticks at Pleasantville Subdivision, Brgy. Taculing in Bacolod City yesterday morning.

The Bacolod City Anti-Drug Special Operation Task Group led by SPO4 Ernesto Gonzales arrested Richard Yalong Castro, 29, married, of Alice Street, Airport Subdivision, Brgy. Singcang-Airport; and Roger Dela Cruz Mahilum, 27, of Bagong Dalan, Brgy. 16 in the act of endorsing the gamefowls to alleged buyer, Rodolfo Jonota Suelan, alias "Totot", 31 in Brgy. Taculing at about 4:30 a.m. yesterday.

SPO1 Nelson Grijaldo, CAIDSOTG team leader told the DAILY STAR yesterday, 16 fighting cocks allegedly stolen from Alegria, Murcia town, Negros Occidental were recovered from Mailum and Castro. At about 5:10 a.m. of the same day, George Josepina Montes, 42, of Libertad Extension and Robert Gumban Celestial, 32, of Brgy. Abuanan, Bago City were also arrested by the Bacolod drug operatives for possession of five gamefowls reportedly stolen from Binalbagan town, Grijaldo said.

The gamefowls were hidden in the sweatshirt of the suspects who used motorcycles as get-away vehicles, he said.

Grijaldo said they recovered during a body search, a 12-gauge improvised firearm, locally known as "sumpak" with six bullets, a sachet of suspected shabu from Suelan and a partially burned marijuana cigaret from Castro. A pair of pliers and a fan knife were also confiscated from Mahilum, four M-16 bullets from Celestial, and two sticks of marijuana cigarets from Montes, Grijaldo said.

Meanwhile, Celestial and Montes admitted they had stolen the gamefowls but denied possessing marijuana sticks and ammunitions. He said they stole the fighting cocks and sold it to a "buyer". Celestial claimed the apprehending policemen mauled and maltreated him.

Meanwhile, Pete Gela, of Murcia town and a gamefowl breeder for seven years said yesterday that he positively identified seven out of the nine stolen fighting cocks as those from his backyard. He said he identified one of the arrested persons as a trisikad driver operating in their area last month.

The five were detained in the lock-up cell of the Bacolod police office for theft charges, violations of Republic Act 8294, illegal possession of firearm and ammunition and Republic Act 9165, or Comprehensive Dangerous Drug Act of 2002, he said.*DMG

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