Former NPA officer yields
BY GILBERT BAYORAN

A former political officer of the New People's Army in southern Negros who had joined the Rebolusyonaryong Hukbo ng Bayan, a breakaway communist rebel faction in 1999, surrendered to the 61st Infantry Battalion Sunday.

Lt. Col. Norman Flores, 61st Infantry Battalion commander, yesterday said Jesus Daguia, alias Ka Rey, also surrendered an M-16 assault rifle to avail of the Balik-Baril program of the government. The Army's 3rd Infantry Division has increased the cash value of firearms surrendered by members and sympathizers of the New People's Army by 100 percent.

Rebels who surrender either an M-16 or M-14 assault rifle, will now receive P35,000, instead of P18,000, under the government Balik Baril program, Maj. Lyndon Sollesta, Army regional spokesman, said. Two other firearms, an M1 garand and US carbine rifles, were also recovered by the 61st IB in Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental and during a recent encounter with RHB fighters in Brgy. Camansi, Kabankalan City, military records show.

Flores said the RHB, an armed component of the Marxist-Leninist Political Party/ Kilusan para sa Pambansang Demokrasya, has about 20 armed fighters operating in Brgys. Tampalon, Camansi, Salong in Kabankalan City, Brgys. Mambugsay, Guilhungan and Tambad in Cauayan town, and Brgy. Tabu in Ilog.

Military records show that Daguia was the political officer of the defunct NPA Front Command 1 in southern Negros, before he defected to the RHB in 1999.

Under the Balik-Baril program, a rebel returnee who surrenders an M-60 machine gun will be paid P60,000, Sollesta, who is the Army regional spokesman, said.

The surrender of Daguia came a day before 61st IB soldiers encountered five suspected RHB guerillas who were suspected to be responsible for the liquidation of Generoso Caballero in Sitio Katilingban, Brgy. Orong, Kabankalan, on March 6.

A US carbine rifle left behind by the fleeing RHB members, was recovered by soldiers at the encounter site.*GPB

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'Carrying of
firearms now allowed

Licensed gunholders may now carry their firearms outside their residence.

Region 6 police chief Doroteo Reyes said the prohibition of the carrying firearms by licensed gunholders outside their residence, which took effect Feb. 25 in line with the enforcement of Proclamation 1017 issued by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was lifted on March 3.

On the same day, the controversial proclamation which drew numerous protests, was also lifted by President Arroyo, who said the security situation of the country is now back to normal.

Reyes also said the processing and issuance of applications for Permit-to-Carry-Outside-Residence to licensed gun owners, is now ongoing.

However, he ordered police chiefs in Western Visayas to renew their campaign against the proliferation of loose firearms, with vigor.

Police records show that the Valladolid Police Station maintains its lead against 31 city and municipal police stations in Negros Occidental, in the recovery of loose firearms.

Senior Inspector Rico Santotome, town police chief, in his report to Senior Supt. Charles Calima, provincial police director, said the Valladolid police recovered 38 unlicensed firearms within a period of 60 days since the start of the year.*GPB

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4 persons arrested
for loose guns, theft

Four persons, one of them a woman, were arrested by the Bacolod police for alleged possession of firearms and for theft, in Bacolod City Monday.

Vicente Baydid Dequiño, 19, of Purok Kawayanan, Brgy. Banago, Bacolod City was arrested by Precinct 3 policemen for alleged possession of an improvised firearm or "sumpak" with a live bullet of a .45 caliber pistol near a school in Brgy. Banago at about 4:30 p.m. Monday.

Dequiño, who claimed to be a member of the "Trese Hudas" gang was reportedly mobbed by a group identified as the "SRV gang" in the area, the police said.

The police recovered the "sumpak" from Dequiño who planned to take revenge on his assailants.

Ronald Lopez Nopas, 40, single, of Purok Dacudaw, Brgy. Vista Alegre, Bacolod City was also caught by Precinct 7 personnel for possessing a .38 caliber revolver with three live ammunition in the area at about 11:30 a.m. Monday, police reports said.

Meanwhile, a 16-year-old boy was caught in the act of stealing a water meter reportedly owned by Oliver Adeva at 15th-Gatuslao Extension in Brgy. 4 at about 11 p.m. of the same day.

Recovered from the boy, whose name is being withheld by the DAILY STAR, was a water meter identified as his by Adeva.

Meanwhile, Genedel Villanueva, 21, of Brgy. Taloc, Bago City, Negros Occidental was also arrested by the City Mobile Group in the act of selling a stolen cellphone at the Centroplex Mall at Gatuslao Street at about 4:10 p.m. Monday.

Recovered from her were the Nokia 3100 and Ericson 290i cellphones believed to be stolen items.*DMG

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Fire prevention
seminar held

About 50 police non-commissioned officers assigned at the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office, various police stations and Provincial Mobile Groups, attended a seminar on Fire Prevention and Control at the NOPPO Conference Hall, Saturday, a press release from the office said.

Guest lecturer was Senior Fire Officer 2 Dorven Operiano, chief of the Plans and Training Section, Bureau of Fire Protection, located at San Juan Street, Bacolod City, who represented city fire marshall, Fire Senior Insp. Randy Pudadera.

Discussed were classes of fire, components of fire, methods of extinguishment, methods of heat transfer, common causes of fire, basic firefighting techniques and the proper use of a fire extinguisher, the press release said.

The activity was in observance of Fire Prevention Month in line with Proclamation Number 115-A, the press release added.*

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