Raps lodged vs. soldier
for gun ban violation

An Army soldier assigned to the 542nd Engineering Construction Battalion was the first law enforcer charged with violating the Comelec gun ban, after his recent arrest at a shopping mall in Bacolod City, for possessing two fragmentation grenades, police records show.

SSgt. Edwin Demontaño, 46, was formally charged yesterday by the police before the City Prosecutor's Office in Bacolod City.

While the police noted that it was in good faith that Demontano deposited a bag containing the two grenades when he entered the Robinsons shopping mall on Tuesday, police investigators say they will leave it government prosecutors to act on the complaint.

Demontano is now under the custody of Police Precint 3 of the Bacolod City Police Office.

Col. Gregorio Fajardo, 303rd Infantry Brigade commander, said it is up to Maj. Benigno Mason, 542nd ECB commander, to explain to the Comelec why Demontano was carrying explosives.

However, he added, they will respect whatever the Comelec may decide.

Police investigations show that Demontaño was on his way to duty at the Panaad Park and Stadium in Brgy. Mansilingan, although not in military uniform, when his wife asked him to accompany her to the mall.*GPB

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Theft of trisikad, fruits reported

A trisikad containing five baskets of ripe mangoes was stolen by unidentified persons at around 4:45 a.m. yesterday at corner Luzuriaga-Bonifacio streets in Bacolod City.

Romulo Luzero, 32, married, of Purok Marapara in Barangay Bata, Bacolod City reported to Police Precinct 1 that he parked his white trisikad, in the area to get some things at a nearby block, but he later discovered it was missing.

Aside from the trisikad that cost around P3,800, five big baskets of ripe mangoes on it were also stolen, police reports said. The fruits cost about P12,000 with each basket containing 40 kilos amounting to P60 per kilo, police reports added.*CIT

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De la Paz promoted

Supt. Ricardo de la Paz, police chief of San Carlos, has been promoted to the rank of senior superintendent, the equivalent of full-fledged colonel in the military effective Dec. 21 last year, police records show.

The promotion of De la Paz and 26 other senior police officers to the ranks of senior superintendent, chief superintendent and police director, was contained in General Order 43 dated Jan. 12, signed by PNP chief Oscar Calderon.

De la Paz and other promoted senior police officers took their oaths yesterday before Calderon at Camp Crame.

Police records also disclosed that the San Carlos City Police Station again topped the performance evaluation rating for 2006, besting 30 other police units in Negros Occidental.

In 1996, the Silay police commanded by De la Paz was also adjudged as best city police station nationwide.

Police units are rated every quarter of the year on police community relations, operation, intelligence, investigations, human resource and doctrine development, management of personnel and logistics and plans and comptrollership.

Senior Supt. Rosendo Franco, provincial police director, had earlier said that De la Paz is facing transfer to a higher position with his promotion to the rank of senior superintendent.*GPB

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