SALABAS KIDNAP-SLAY
Bounty for arrest
of suspects eyed

Acting Bacolod City police director Senior Supt. Ronilo Quebrar yesterday said that his office welcomes the proposal to put up rewards for the speedy arrest of the 21 accused, 10 of them police officers, for the kidnapping and murder of a former Bacolod barangay captain in the city in August 2003.

Quebrar said the proposed rewards will encourage people to give information on the whereabouts of the suspects. Dante Jimenez of the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption, in coordination with the family of former Brgy. Pahanocoy captain Eleuterio Salabas, is putting up the rewards, Aksyon Radyo reported.

Quebrar said there are warrants of arrest for the accused policemen and he is appealing to those who are helping or hiding them to turn them over to the court.

As far as the Bacolod police is concerned, Quebrar said it is exerting all efforts to arrest the suspects and he has deployed his men to verify reports of their presence in Bacolod. He also said he believes the suspects are no longer in the city.

Meanwhile, Tom Orola, brother-in-law of Salabas, yesterday told the DAILY STAR in a phone interview, that putting up rewards is their last option if the Bacolod police can not apprehend their fellow policemen and other civilians accused.

Orola claimed they have received reports that the accused policemen were seen in the city wearing wigs and women's dresses to hide their identities. Some of them were also surveying him and his family at Rizal-Hilado streets and in Brgy. Pahanocoy, he added.*DMG

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Sagay minor nabbed
for violating gun ban

A minor, who has been arrested numerous times for involvement in robbery and theft cases, was again apprehended on Wednesday for illegal possession of firearms and violation of the Comelec gun ban in Brgy. 1 poblacion, Sagay City, Negros Occidental.

Supt. William Señoron, Sagay police chief, yesterday said the 15-year-old has been arrested more than 10 times already since he was 11.

As stipulated in Republic Act 9344, or the Juvenile Justice Act, minors below 15 years cannot be charged in court, or placed behind bars for any crime he or she committed. Instead, the arrested youthful offender will be placed under the custody of the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

Señoron said a .38 caliber revolver with five live ammunition was recovered from the minor. Initial police investigations show that the minor is capitalizing on the RA 9344 in committing crimes, and anticipates his release from jail whenever arrested by law enforcers.

Señoron said he will coordinate with the Commission on Human Rights on what to do with the minor offender.

Senior Inspector Rico Santotome also reported that Stanley Guilles surrendered a homemade shotgun to the police, which he said he discovered in a vacant lot near his residence in Brgy. Bagumbayan, Valladolid.

This is the seventh firearm recovered by the Valladolid police since the enforcement of Comelec gun ban started on Jan. 14, Santotome said. Chief Inspector Joseph Thomas Martir yesterday said Ricky Magsiko, 37, was also apprehended in Brgy.Concepcion, Talisay City on Wednesday, by virtue of an arrest warrant for murder issued by Judge Franklin Demonteverde.

Martir who is the Talisay police chief, said Magsiko, who was denied bail by Demonteverde, was charged in court for the killing of Diosdado Silve in Brgy. Aguisan, Himamaylan City, last month.*GPB

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