IN KABANKALAN
Court acquits man
of murder try raps

A former barangay tanod was cleared of frustrated murder charges by a Regional Trial Court judge in Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental, yesterday.

Ramil de la Torre, 42, of Purok 4, Sitio Napudyot, Brgy. Orong, Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental, was acquitted of trying to kill his neighbor by RTC Branch 61 Judge Henry Arles yesterday. In his six-page decision, Arles said the prosecution failed to present evidence that would prove De la Torre's guilt beyond reasonable doubt, and ordered his immediate release.

On November 1, 2004, De la Torre allegedly waylaid and stabbed Pocholo Bancala, 28, on his chest while the victim was walking towards a store from his home in Sitio Napudyot, court records showed.

The victim was treated at a health center and was sent home after the incident, court records added.

De la Torre, however, told the court that Bancala's wound was the result of an accident when they grappled for a knife that he had recovered from an incident he had pacified earlier.

He added that Bancala did not even get angry after he accidentally hit him with the knife when the victim kicked him after he refused to give him the weapon, court records said.

It added that the police officers who responded during the incident did not arrest De la Torre because Bancala's wound was too small and the accused had told them how the victim was wounded.

Arles also said that the prosecution failed to show that Bancala's injury was serious enough to have caused his death, noting that the medical certificate it presented did not prove the frustrated murder charge against De la Torre.*

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Fish vendor apprehended
for falsifying loan papers

Fish vendor nabbed A 60-year-old fish vendor was arrested by the Philippine National Police for allegedly falsifying documents for his loan application in Bacolod City Monday, the police said.

Eduardo Barrientos of Villa Esperanza, Brgy. Tangub, Bacolod City, said he was just hoping to get some money, as capital for his fish vending business when the police arrested him.

Barrientos, who also uses the alias "Benigno Helario", was arrested by Police Station 6 officers after checkers at the ARGO Lending Corporation found out that his documents were tampered and that he was using an alias, police records showed.

Pinky Prudente, representative of the business establishment, told the police that Barrientos used the name Benigno Helario when he applied for a loan Monday.

Upon verification with the Social Security System and the local bank where Barrientos' ATM card is registered, however, Prudente said that they discovered the suspects' papers to be falsified, including his name.

Alma Dahilag, 39, an ARGO agent who referred Barrientos to the lending company, said the suspect could have gotten a P33,000 loan due for 18 months.

Barrientos, however, said that he did not know that his papers were fake and that he just followed the instructions of a certain Grace Real from Brgy. Tangub when he went to the lending outfit.

He said that he met Real about two months ago and that he agreed to apply for a loan because she told him that he will get P1,000 when ARGO approves their papers.

"I just wanted some money to add to my capital," Barrientos said, adding that he will use the cash to buy fish and vend it around the city with his wife.

He also said that he wants to ask for forgiveness from the lending company as the management may take pity on him if he does. Dahilag told the police however, that the company is preparing charges against Barrientos.*PP

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Drug suspect collared

Another drug suspect was arrested by the police in a late night operation Monday in Bacolod City, the Philippine National Police said.

Romeo Bonza, 34, of Purok Sigay, Brgy. 2, Bacolod City, was apprehended by Bacolod City Police Office Drug Enforcement Unit operatives in a stake-out operation in Purok Sigay at about 10 p.m. Monday, police records showed.

The operatives recovered two plastic sachets of suspected shabu from the suspect who said that he was caught off-guard while he was walking in a dark area in Purok Sigay and it just happened that he was carrying the shabu when the police came.

Monday's sting was the fifth in a recent string of police operations against illegal drugs in the city and it resulted in the arrest of 17 persons, including Bonza, police records showed.

BCPO director Senior Supt. Ronilo Quebrar said their operations had been successful because of the support of the public.*PP

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