IN BACOLOD
Rob group behind heist
of gasoline station, too

The robbery-hold-up group operating in Cebu and Negros islands, that was recently neutralized by the San Carlos City police, was also positively identified by a witness as also responsible for the heist of a gasoline station in Bacolod City early this month.

Senior Supt. Ricardo de la Paz, San Carlos police chief, yesterday said witness Ramie Antonio positively identified brothers Edgar and Joelito Caramihan as the ones who robbed the Sea Oil Gasoline Station at Rizal-Lopez Jaena streets in Bacolod City on April 7.

Police investigations show that the two suspects carted away P28,000 in cash. Brothers Edgar and Joelito Caramihan were arrested on April 24 by the police after they also robbed at gunpoint the cashier of Shell Gasoline Station in San Carlos City, Negros Occidental.

Two handguns and the stolen P16,000 in cash were recovered by the police from the arrested suspects.

SPO2 Joseph Mulleta of the Bacolod police Task Force Barracuda, who accompanied Antonio to San Carlos on Saturday, said they are still verifying if the Caramihan brothers were also behind the hold-up of three more gasoline stations in Bacolod this month.

De la Paz said Edgar and Joelito are reportedly raising money to bail out their two brothers, Bernard and Alvin, and three other members of the gang, who were also recently apprehended in Cebu after they robbed a pawnshop.

Police investigations also showed that Edgar and Joelito were also tagged as suspects in the hold-up of a collector of a lending company early this month in San Carlos City.

Edgar and Joelito are now detained at the police lock-up cell after charges for robbery and violation of the Comelec gunban were filed against them before the City Prosecutor's Office of San Carlos City.

De la Paz said Edgar, a licensed security guard who used to be assigned at the farm of former Ambassador Eduardo Cojuangco in Pampanga, is also facing theft charges in court.*GPB

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Talisay farm worker shot,
hacked dead

A farm worker was shot and hacked to death while two others were injured when a riot broke out in a public disco in Hacienda San Isidro, Brgy. Concepcion, Talisay City, Negros Occidental at about 1 a.m. yesterday, the police said.

Romulo Plaga, of Hacienda Mana-ol, Brgy. Matab-ang, Talisay City, was found dead by residents of Hacienda San Isidro with a hack wound on his head and a gunshot wound on his abdomen with the bullet exiting through his back, SPO1 Rafael Abellar of the Talisay City PNP said.

Meanwhile, Jorge Salazar, 23, and Rafael Bercede, 57, both of Hacienda San Isidro, were brought to the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital with gunshot and stab wounds, hospital records showed.

Salazar sustained gunshot wounds on the left side of his chest and on his right arm while Bercede was treated for a stab wound on his left hand.

Salazar told the DAILY STAR at CLMMRH yesterday, that the bullet of the .38 caliber revolver is still lodged in his body and he is still scheduled for operation, while Bercede has been discharged from the hospital.

Abellar said the riot apparently involved residents of Hacienda San Isidro and Hacienda Mana-ol but, he said, they are still investigating how it started because the witnesses and victims gave varying accounts of what happened.

He added that they have already identified suspects but he can not divulge their names yet. Meanwhile, Jomarie Godinez, 31, of Purok Marapara, Brgy. Bata, Bacolod City, was brought to CLMMRH with a wound on his left underarm after he was allegedly stabbed by a certain "Bong-Bong" at about 4:30 p.m. yesterday, hospital reports showed.

Reports also said that Godinez was stabbed allegedly by the suspect with a four-inch knife after a confrontation. Jose Sivedo, 37, of Purok Riverside, Brgy. Ma-ao, Bago City, Negros Occidental was also rushed to CLMMRH with stab wounds on his neck, back, left shoulder, underarm, hands, and right leg, at about 9:13 p.m. Saturday, hospital records said.

Sivedo was on his way home when he was allegedly stabbed by Enosencio Cauya with whom he had been drinking earlier at about 8 p.m., hospital reports said.*PP

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