Talisay robbers neutralized
GROUP LINKED TO HEIST-SLAY, TOO

Policemen may have foiled the attempt of a notorious robbery hold-up group to victimize a rice retailer in Talisay City, Negros Occidental. when it killed one of its members and arrested two others on Friday, but not another group of robbers who successfully held up a softdrink delivery truck in E.B. Magalona the next day.

Negros Occidental police director Charles Calima yesterday said that the three members of robbery hold-up group neutralized by the police in Talisay City on Friday, were also responsible for the robbery-slay of Kagawad Roy Villaflor on March 7 last year in Brgy. Ma-ao, Bago City.

Police investigations show that Gary Hojella, 23, his elder brother, Jimmy, 30, and their brother-in-law, Efren Tambong, 22, all of Isabela town, were monitored to have been planning to rob Concepcion Sigador, a rice retailer at the Talisay City Public Market.

A follow-up operation made by the police led to the arrest of Gary Hojella at Bangga 12 in Brgy. Zone 1, Talisay City, and the recovery of a .38 caliber revolver with four ammunition, a back pack containing personal belongings, and a black bonnet, from his possession.

Supt. Jerry Bartolome, Talisay police chief, said his policemen were able to catch Jimmy and Tambong in front of the Church of the Latter Day Saints, in Talisay.

In his report to Calima, Bartolome said another .38 caliber revolver with four bullets was taken by SPO3 Roger Cañete from Tambong. However, the companion of Tambong, identified later as Jimmy Hojella, pulled out a hand grenade and warned policemen that he had already removed its pin.

Jimmy was shot dead before he could do any harm to the policemen, Calima said.

A .357 magnum revolver with five ammunition and a fragmentation grenade, which was defused by responding bomb experts of the Negros Occidental and Bacolod City Police Offices, were recovered from the possession of Jimmy.

PO3 Rodrigo Asparo, a member of the Talisay PNP Alert team was hit on his left leg by a ricocheting bullet, Calima said.

Grace Villaflor, a rice trader in Brgy. Ma-ao, Bago City, positively identified Jimmy as the one who shot her husband, Roy, last year. About P200,000 in cash was taken from Villaflor after he was shot by Jimmy and his six companions, one of whom was identified as Rodelio Oliveros, a rebel returnee, police records show.

Declaring the robbery-hold-up incident in Brgy. Ma-ao, Bago City as solved, Calima also commended the Talisay police for foiling what could have been another bloody robbery-hold incident involving a rice trader.

A day after the incident, however, three suspected hold-uppers also flagged down and robbed at gunpoint a private softdrink delivery truck owned by Jaqueline Taguas in Sitio Bato, Brgy. Nanca, E.B. Magalona.

PO1 Ronilo Maro, E.B. Magalona PNP Desk Officer, yesterday said the three suspects, armed with two revolvers and a homemade shotgun, forcibly took P30,000 in cash from Jose Managuit, driver of the delivery truck. The incident was witnessed by Managuit's son, Mark, and helper Vicente Larroga.

E.B. Magalona police chief Santiago Rapiz yesterday said one of the suspects who was identified as Michael Dionson, has a pending arrest warrant for robbery with homicide in Talisay City.

On the same day, policemen also arrested a certain Joseph Adelantar at a videokee house in Brgy. 1, Kabankalan City, for having in his possession a .45 caliber pistol, police chief Roderick Alba said.*GPB

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Widower kills self

A resident of San Mateo Village, Brgy. Banago, Bacolod City reportedly shot himself dead near midnight Saturday in his house, Police Precinct 3 reports said yesterday.

The victim was identified as Jedel Gerona Garrido, 64, a widower, of Lot 13, Block 3, in the subdivision by operatives of the Bacolod City Police Office Scene of the Crime Operation.

Initial investigations conducted by SOCO operatives SPO1 Rommel Preta and PO3s Cesar Nepucpan and Rex Verba disclosed that Garrido used a German-made .22 caliber revolver. He had a gunshot wound in the right temple with the bullet passing through the back of his head, police reports also said. It added that Garrido was found lying on his back on a bamboo chair.

Probers also recovered two spent shells of a .22 caliber revolver with serial number 1342820 and a 43-inch electrical wire at the scene. With the victim in the house during the incident was his household helper Ronalin Maluluy-on Lapus, 23, of Tabuk Suba, Cauayan town Negros Occidental, police also said.

Investigations further revealed that Garrido was a diabetic and had arthritis and recently also suffered a stroke.

The electrical wire found near the victim's body may be an indication that the victim must have thought of hanging himself, the police theorized.*GCT

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1 killed,
2 wounded in shooting

A man was killed and two others were wounded in a shooting and stabbing in a dance hall, at about 11:45 p.m. Saturday, at Purok Kaburihan, Brgy. Estefania, Bacolod City.

Killed on the spot was Ramil Villanueva, 33,of the barangay, while those wounded were his brother, Edgardo, 46, and the suspect identified as Elmo Fadol, 38, both of the same place, Super Radyo reported.

It said that Ramil was shot by Fadol with an improvised 12-gauge shotgun or "sumpak."

Fadol, who was brought to the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital in the city, also shot Edgardo in the chest, Bacolod City Police Office Precinct 4 investigators said.

Radio reports said that Fadol was stabbed by his nephew, known only as "Dandan," who confronted him about the incident.

Dandan was still at large up to press time yesterday.

Recovered from the scene of the shooting were the sumpak and its empty shells, and a pair of slippers.

Police are looking into personal grudges between the brothers and Fadol as motive in the shooting. Personnel of Police Precinct 4 led by Senior Insp. Ulysses Ortiz are still investigating the case, police reports added.*GCT

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