Kabankalanon gets
40 years for murder

A Kabankalan resident was sentenced to 40 years imprisonment yesterday for the crime of murder in Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental.

Regional Trial Court Judge Henry Arles found Rolly Lucibar guilty beyond reasonable doubt of the murder of Johnny Palmares, who died of stab wounds in Barangay Camansi, Kabankalan on Jan. 6, 1996.

Arles also ordered the immediate remittance of Lucibar to the National Penitentiary in Muntinlupa and ordered him to pay the heirs of the victim P100,000 in civil indemnity, temperate damages and exemplary damages and costs.

Lucibar had pleaded not guilty during his arraignment on March 13, 1997 but did not present any evidence to prove that he did not commit the crime, court records show.

Prosecution witness Joseph Jimenez, who, along with brother, Alberto, and were Palmares' companions during the incident, positively identified Lucibar as the one who stabbed the victim on the chest resulting to cardio-pulmonary arrest secondary to shock and hemorrhage that resulted in the victim's death.

Arles said Jimenez could not have been mistaken in his identification of Lucibar as the perpetrator.

Lucibar had followed Palmares, who was walking with the Jimenez brothers, before stabbing the victim, whom he told "John, this is my Christmas gift for you", court records show.

Treachery attended the killing of Palmares because he was completely unaware of the coming attack from behind and was not in a position to defend himself, Arles said. *CPT

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2 men apprehended
for pushing drugs

Two suspected drug pushers listed in the drug watchlists of the police in Valladolid and Murcia towns, were separately arrested yesterday for violation of Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drug Act of 2002.

Nabbed were Leo Junio, alias Kumpol, and Leo Tapiculen, of Rizal Street, Murcia, and Brgy. Tabao, Valladolid, respectively.

Valladolid police chief Rico Santotome said the arrest of Junio through a buy-bust operation yielded 52 sticks of dried marijuana leaves.

Senior Inspector Simeon Gane, Murcia police chief, on the other hand, said 30 sticks of dried marijuana cigarets were recovered from the house of Tapiculen.

Police investigations show Junio is an alleged member of the Kalye Bato Group, an organized gang of drug pushers operating in Brgys. Tabao, Bagumbayan, Central Tabao and Saguabanwa, all in Valladolid.

Charges for violation of RA 9165 are now being readied against Junio and Tapiculen who are now detained in the police jails of Murcia and Valladolid.

Santotome said the arrest of Junio was a product of their "Know thy Neighborhood Watch" campaign, which is now gaining ground because of the support of the community.

Police records also showed that Valladolid Police Station also topped the list of 31 police stations in Negros Occidental, for having the most number of firearms recovered within a one month.

As of last week, 28 unlicensed firearms had been accounted for by the Valladolid police.*GPB

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Sagay City escapee
nabbed in Hinobaan

A notorious jail escapee who bolted twice from his detention cell in Sagay City, Negros Occidental, was recaptured yesterday by policemen in Brgy. Sangke, Hinobaan town.

Edgar Celestial, who is facing murder charges, escaped from the Sagay jail on Jan. 21, despite being chained at his detention cell which is undergoing repairs, the police said.

Chief Inspector William Señoron, Sagay police chief, yesterday said Celestial who was arrested by operatives of the Task Force Ilahas and Sagay policemen, hid in Hinobaan for almost two weeks.

Police records show Celestial also bolted the Sagay jail last year. He was later recaptured by Sagay policemen in Bogo, Cebu.

Two other escapees who bolted the Sagay jail last year, aside from Celestial, were also re-arrested by the police.

The series of jailbreaks in Sagay has prompted the city government of Sagay to allocate P100,000 for the repair of its police station jail.*GPB

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