12 employees complain
versus dep't store owner

Twelve employees of a department store in Bacolod City yesterday filed complaints against their employer who reportedly orally defamed them in public, last week.

Mary Warden Alib Bataluna, 25, single, of San Juan Street, Bacolod City and her companions reported to Police Station 1 that Johnny Sy, owner of the Uni City Department Store at Araneta Street, Bacolod City, orally defamed them, which humiliated and caused them embarrassment, police reports said.

Meanwhile, Pennylane Liwanag, acting manager of the Uni City, yesterday told the DAILY STAR in a phone interview, that the allegations of the complainants were untrue and that they will refer the case to their lawyer for appropriate action.

Raymund Rula, one of the complainants said yesterday that, they filed complaints of underpayment, non-payment of overtime pay, underpayment of 13th month pay, no rest day, non-payment of regular holiday, premium pay and illegal deduction on late attendance, before the Department of Labor and Employment.

Liwanag said the DOLE is now investigating the complaints. The other complainants were Rowena Carlon, 18, of Brgy. Tangub; Billy Mahilum, 24, of Silay City; Estrelieta Tuling, 25, of Brgy. Taculing; Elton John de los Reyes, 23, of Libertad-Baybay, Brgy. 16; Jimboy Zamora, 19, of Brgy. Tagoc, Kabankalan City; Pedro Canatao, 19, of Brgy. 39; Ryan Cabrillos, 18, of Brgy. Singcang-Airport and Mary Chris Salgado, 23, of Hinigaran town, Negros Occidental, police reports said.*DMG

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5 guns recovered, 2 nabbed

Five firearms were recovered and two persons were arrested, including a security guard, within three days after the enforcement of the COMELEC gun ban in Negros Occidental, police records show.

Supt. William Señoron reported yesterday the arrest of a security guard for violation of the COMELEC gun ban in Hacienda Luisita, Brgy. 1 poblacion, Sagay City.

Señoron, Sagay police chief, said the arrest of security guard Artemio Bongitan yielded a 12-gauge shotgun with four live ammunition. Meanwhile, armed with a search warrant issued by Judge Francisco Rodriguez, a team of the 613rd Provincial Mobile Group led by SPO4 Roberto Villaflor raided the house of Joelito Labanon in Brgy. Cambarus, Pontevedra, on Jan. 18.

Supt. Iver Apellido, 613rd PMG commander, in his report to Senior Supt. Rosendo Franco, police provincial director, said the raid also led to the recovery of a pistolized homemade shotgun with five ammunition, and a "sulpak".

Bongitan and Labanon are now locked up in jail.

Senior Inspector Rico Santotome also reported that three more unlicensed revolvers were surrendered to the Valladolid police by Vicente Estacio, Kagawad Letecia Molina and Civilian Volunteers Organization member Fernando Fillone last week.

Santotome said the surrender of the three unlicensed guns, under the PNP Balik Baril program he has implemented since last year, has brought to 69 the number of loose firearms accounted for by the town police.

The Valladolid Police Station topped the performance evaluation rating among 19 municipal police stations in Negros Occidental last year.*GPB

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Five face raps for theft
of motorcycles -- police

The Bacolod police will file today theft charges against five Bacolod residents arrested for allegedly stealing two motorcycles in Purok Boulevard, Brgy. 16, Bacolod City, last week.

Senior Insp. Joeresty Coronica, Police Station 1 commander, yesterday said they will file theft charges against Michael Garcia Bayot, 22, alias "Pidoy", of Purok Laurel, Brgy. Mansilingan; Alfie Semillano Amar, alias "Ba-ak"; Maximo Canama Jr., 18, alias "Mok-mok";; Delmarie Gelarman Paragsa, alias "Nene Kabayo"; and Rico James Martir, all of Purok Boulevard, Brgy. 16, Bacolod City.

Bayot, Amar, Canama and Paragsa were arrested in a joint operation of Police Station 1, Manapla, and Victorias PNP Saturday, while Martir remains at-large, Coronica said.

He said the five were suspects in the series of robbery and thievery in Bacolod City. Complainant Jovito Tronggo, 30, of Purok Katilingban, Brgy. Banago, yesterday told the DAILY STAR, he parked his motorcycle in front of a bar where he was drinking when the suspects stole it.

Tronggo said one of the suspects even pulled him to a dark portion of Purok Boulevard in Brgy. 16, but a bar waitress intervened and helped him.

The police recovered a Yamaha motorcycle from the residence of Martir's relatives in Brgy. 9, Victorias City, Negros Occidental about 5 p.m. Saturday, police reports said.

Coronica said police investigation showed the suspects sell the stolen motorcycles outside the city.*DMG

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