Bacoleña swindled

A 75-year-old Bacoleña, who tried to help a man buy a fire extinguisher, was instead swindled by him and two other unidentified persons believed to be members of the "budol-budol" gang in Bacolod City yesterday, the police said.

Jesusa Tagalimot of Sunshine Village, Bacolod City, told the police that two men and a woman took her P9,000 in cash that she entrusted to them after they convinced her to leave it with them in exchange for a larger amount of cash. Tagalimot said one of the men, who claimed to be from Palawan and was speaking in Tagalog, sought her help to buy a fire extinguisher while she was walking along Burgos-Lacson Streets at about 10 a.m. yesterday.

She added that she tried to ignore him at first but was convinced to help him by the two other suspects who also approached her.

The suspects left with her a red backpack, which they said contained bundles of money, and asked her to put her own money and jewelry in it as "insurance". They then told her to wait at a fast food outlet while they went to buy the fire extinguisher.

The suspects never came back, and she reported the incident to the police. "I just tried to help them," she said.

Police Station 2 commander, Inspector Rei Gumban, said Tagalimot might be another victim of the "budol-budol" gang operating in the city. But the victim failed to identify any of the three suspects through the station rogue's gallery.

"They could be recruits of the same group and it is possible that they will strike again," Gumban said.*PP

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Turnover of PNP
command today

Senior Supt. Ricardo de la Paz is relinquishing command of the San Carlos City Police Station, that had been adjudged for three consecutive years as best city police station in Negros Occidental, to his deputy, Senior Inspector Victorino Romanillos, today.

De la Paz has been designated as chief of the Regional Investigation and Detective Management of the Western Visayas police at Camp Martin Delgado in Iloilo City, police records show.

The turnover of the San Carlos police command will be held at the session hall of the city Sangguniang Panlungsod, and will be presided over by Senior Supt. Rosendo Franco, provincial police director, in the presence of re-elected Mayor Eugenio Jose Lacson and other local officials.

De la Paz who has been the police chief of San Carlos City for more than six years, yesterday expressed his appreciation for the overwhelming support of Lacson, Vice-Mayor Jinggo Valmayor and members of the City Council, as well as that of Gov. Joseph Marañon.

Police records also showed that the San Carlos City Police Station was adjudged by the National Police Commission as the Most-Citizen Friendly City Police Station in Western Visayas for year 2006.

De la Paz was also adjudged as Police Commissioned Officer in Western Visayas from 2001 to 2004.

The P3.2 million renovated San Carlos City Police Station and the P500,000 building to house erring minors being constructed are now almost completed. PNP chief Oscar Calderon has been invited to be guest of honor and speaker during the simultaneous inaugurations.

De la Paz said the additional P1.2 million in combat gear for SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics) team, that includes armored vests and M16 assault rifles, have already arrived and are ready for distribution. He said the SWAT team combat gear and infrastructure projects are part of the assistance of the city government to the San Carlos police, since he assumed command in 2000.*GPB

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Revenge eyed in shooting

Revenge for an old grudge may have led to the fatal shooting of a 26-year-old Bacoleño in Bacolod City Saturday, the police said.

Jake Ceasar of Purok Pedring, Brgy. Estefania, Bacolod City, was shot repeatedly by Jastin Ocilla, 18, with a .38 caliber revolver during a drinking spree at about 8:30 p.m. at 10th-Lacson streets, Bacolod City on June 16, police records showed. Five empty shells of the revolver used were recovered from the crime scene, police records also showed.

Case investigator SPO1 Vicente Canuday of Police Station 2 told the DAILY STAR that Ceasar had reportedly mauled Ocilla three years ago. Ceasar's sister told Canuday that Ocilla was "seriously injured" when the victim mauled him in 2004. "He may have held the grudge," Canuday said.

Ceasar was rushed to the hospital but died in the X-Ray room from his multiple gunshot wounds at about 10:50 that same night, police reports said. Canuday said that they investigating the killing.*PP

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