Guihulngan Regional Trial Court Judge Mario Trinidad has ordered the Bacolod police to arrest four more policemen and a police asset allegedly involved in the 2003 kidnapping and murder of a former barangay captain in Bacolod City.

RTC Judge Mario Trinidad has issued an arrest warrant against Insp. Bonifer Gotas, of the 3rd Provincial Mobile Group, SPO1 Nelson Grijaldo, of the Bacolod City Anti-Illegal Special Operations Task Group, PO2s Dennis Belandres and Ruel Villacanas and police asset Richard "Tisoy" Salazar, a court document furnished the DAILY STAR yesterday showed. They were accused for the kidnapping and murder of Brgy. Captain Eleuterio Salabas, Maximo Lomoljo and Ricardo Suganob who were kidnapped and murdered in Bacolod City on August 2003.

The charges against the policemen were non-bailable, the document said.

Meanwhile, Acting Bacolod City police director, Senior Supt. Ronilo Quebrar, yesterday said he has not received a copy of the arrest warrant yet, but if it will reach his office he has no choice but to serve it.

Quebrar said he has directed Senior Inspectors Joeresty Coronica and Leonardo Borromeo, of Police Stations 1 and 2 and SPO4 Ernesto Gonzales, CAIDSOTG chief, to explain why Villacanas, Bellandres and Grijaldo, failed to report to office on Tuesday.

Quebrar said he is appealing to the accused policemen to surrender and clear their names. In case the accusations are true, they should face the charges, he said.

Efforts made to contact the four policemen failed yesterday.

Gotas, Grijaldo, Villacanas, Belandres and Salazar were added to the 16 accused in the Salabas case, six of whom were also policemen.

Earlier, warrants of arrest had been issued against Chief Insp. Clarence Dongail, SPO2 Freddie Natividad, Chief Insp. Jimmy Fortaleza, PO1 Bernardo Cimatu, PO2 Allen Winston Hulleza, and Senior Insp. Jonathan Lorilla for the kidnapping and murder of the victims.

The other respondents are businessman Manolo Escalante, Ronnie Herrera, July Flores alias Kirhat dela Rosa, Carlo delos Santos alias Caloy, Lorraine Abay alias Lulu, Mamerto, Elma and Elson all surnamed Cañete, Jude Montilla and Ramonito Estanislao.

Meanwhile, Negros Occidental Governor Joseph Marañon yesterday said he is appealing to retired Chief Supt. Vicente Ponteras to air his side on allegations that he was involved in the death of Salabas.

Marañon said Ponteras had not contacted him, but he is expecting that the latter will call him to consult with the United Negros Alliance, that he had recently joined.

Ponteras should surface and clear his name at once, the governor said.

Marañon said he is also checking if UNA has a policy that deals with members who are facing accusations.

Police asset Cecil Brillantes Jr. in an affidavit, named Ponteras and Senior Supt. George Bajelot, then Bacolod police director, as among the policemen allegedly involved in the kidnapping and murder of Salabas and his companions.*DMG

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