Kidnap, robbery raps
filed vs. NBI agents
Korean pastor also included
BY RENE GENOVE & ALEX PAL

DUMAGUETE CITY - Four charges, one carrying the death penalty, were filed yesterday before the Negros Oriental Provincial Prosecutor's Office against 10 persons, including agents of the National Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Immigration and Deportation, and a Korean pastor.

The cases are in connection with the Feb. 1 disarming of security guard Alfredo Elmaco of the Cordial Security Agency and the February 4 NBI serving of a search warrant at the Pamplona Golf and Country Club in the interior municipality of Pamplona, Negros Oriental (related story on page 16).

The NBI from Bacolod City claimed they were disarmed, hogtied and beaten up allegedly by policemen and civilians while attempting to serve a search warrant for illegal possession of firearms on Korean businessman Ha Hae Bong, alias Michael Ha.

They're lies,
bureau teamleader says
BY CARLA GOMEZ

The head of the Bacolod NBI team, whose members were beaten up while serving a search warrant on a Korean businessman, said the charges filed against them yesterday were all lies and are probably intended to counter the numerous cases the NBI is also set to file.

We are filing charges for obstruction of justice, attempted murder and for several other offenses against the policemen and civilians who stopped us from serving a search warrant on Ha Hae Bong Saturday, NBI team leader Menci Mamaspas said.

We had a search warrant issued by the court and we thought the Negros Oriental police arrived to assist us, he said.
When Chief Inspector Julius Muñez, deputy police provincial commander of Negros Oriental, arrived, Mamaspas said he introduced himself as a member of the NBI and showed the police official their search warrant.

3 fires strike:
70-year-old killed, 1 hurt
BY DONALYN GUERRERO

A 70-year-old woman was burned to death, while a 38-year-old man sustained minor burns in separate fire incidents in Bacolod City yesterday afternoon.

Burned to death was Melba Samson who failed to get out of her house in Purok Masagana, Brgy. Taculing, in the city when the fire started about 5:10 p.m. yesterday, fire investigator FO1 Frenie Melgar told the DAILY STAR in a phone interview.

Initial reports, however said, Samson had managed to run out of her house after sensing the fire, but went back to get something.
Melgar said Samson's neighbors told him the victim tried to get out again, but was trapped in the thick bushes in her backyard. She was also suffocated by the smoke and this prevented her from climbing over the fence to save her life.