The Police Precinct 3 commander in Bacolod City had been relieved from his post for alleged lapses in the investigation on the brutal death of an architect and an engineer in Purok Medayna, Brgy. Bata Monday night.

Bacolod City police director Supt. Pedro Merced yesterday said he has relieved Senior Insp. Alexander Ermeo as police station 3 commander Tuesday for not coping with several crime incidents that have transpired in his area of responsibility.

Farmelo Dela Torre Arevalo, 36, of Purok Mahigugma-on, Brgy. Bata and Glicerio Garaton Yude Jr., 40, of Puentebella Subdivision, Brgy. Taculing, both of Bacolod City were reportedly waylaid and shot dead by at least four unidentified person in Purok Medayna, Brgy. Bata, police reports said.

Ermeo who is now detailed as deputy chief of BCPO Operations Branch was replaced by Chief Insp. Jimmy Fortaleza, group director of the City Mobile Group, Merced said.

Insp. Luis Acebuche, a former Special Action Force organic has been assigned as acting CMG group director, replacing Fortaleza, he added.

Police Precinct 3 operatives later arrested a 15-year-old boy, whose name is being withheld by the DAILY STAR, tagged as one of the suspects in the killing of Arevalo and Yude, Merced said.

The arrest of the third suspect proved the reshuffling effective, Merced said.

Two suspects are now in the custody of the Bacolod police, including Isagani Tupal Guinson, 21, of Purok Marapara 1, Brgy. Bata who surrendered to Police Precinct 3 a day after the incident and a 15-year-old boy, Merced said, adding that Fortaleza now has the identities of the remaining suspects who are still at-large.

Merced said Arevalo, an electrical engineer and Yude, an architect, were victims of "mistaken identity". They were in the wrong place at the wrong time, he added.

On the other hand, Glicerio Yude Sr., a civil engineer, told the DAILY STAR yesterday, that his son and Farmelo were not victims of "mistaken identity", but "natripan lang sila sang mga suspects (the suspects took a liking to them). The suspects were believed to be under the influence of alcohol and drugs.

How could it be a "mistaken identity" when Farmelo was familiar to anybody in the area, being a native of Brgy. Bata? Yude asked.

Yude said his son, whom he also called "Tootsie" was a 1988 Bachelor of Science in Architecture graduate of La Consolacion College in Bacolod City.

In his 15 years as an architect, Glicerio Jr. had been engaged in several projects, such as the construction of Southern Negros Doctor's Hospital in Kabankalan City, the Indian temple in Brgy. Villamonte, Bacolod, and several apartments in Cebu City among others, he added.

Meanwhile, Bernadette Arevalo, 31, narrated that her husband was a 1990 graduate of Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Negros Occidental Recoletos.

She said Farmento, also known as "Jack", had worked as an electrical engineer abroad and was set to go to Dubai in Jan. 8 and had traveled to several countries. She described him as a very hardworking and good person.

THREE COPS GROUNDED

Meanwhile, Merced said he has restricted three City Mobile Group members after a 15-year-old boy, tagged as one of the suspects in the death of Arevalo and Yude, filed a complaint of mauling and arbitrary detention at the Commission on Human Rights against Police Officers 1 Escanan, Magbanua, Genterola who were pinpointed as those persons who arrested the minor and allegedly maltreated him.

The CMG operatives arrested the minor who, they said, was acting suspiciously in Purok Medayna, Brgy. Bata. A body search, the police yielded a kitchen knife in his possession, police reports said.

Meanwhile, Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia said he believes Merced is aware that this case could affect the image of the PNP, considering that he is still in the early stages of his stint as police director of Bacolod City. He said they do not want the public to doubt the integrity of the police, and Merced has promised a fast resolution of the case.

This is a chance for the police to prove that the public can trust them, Leonardia added.*DMG

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