2 kilos marijuana
seized in Escalante
DISTRIBUTOR, 2 OTHERS NABBED

Police intelligence operatives confiscated two kilos of suspected dried marijuana leaves Sunday from an alleged distributor who was arrested with two others, in Brgy. Langub, Escalante City.

Arrested were Henry Berdin Villaren, 51, of Brgy. Japitan, Escalante City, Mark Anthony Gayatao, 20, and Rolex Dolosa, 21, both residents of Brgy. Banago, Bacolod City. The arresting team came from the 611th Provincial Mobile Group intelligence personnel, assisted by operatives of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.

Supt. Edgar Ordaniel, 611th PMG director, said the arrest of Villaren who has been tagged of being among the distributors of dried marijuana leaves, Gayatao and Dolosa, yielded two kilos of dried marijuana leaves. The confiscated dried marijuana leaves have an estimated market value of P20,000. Each marijuana stick is being sold by peddlers at P10, PDEA said.

Ordaniel said Villaren's business is selling and buying hogs in Cebu, as a front of his alleged drug trafficking and peddling activities.

The three arrested persons who were presented to Senior Supt. Rosendo Franco, provincial police director, were also subjected to drug testing at the PNP Crime Laboratory in Bacolod City.

Ordaniel said the dried marijuana leaves taken from Villaren and about to be sold to Gayatao and Dolosa, came from Balamban town in Cebu.

In previous years, several kilos of dried marijuana leaves seized by the PDEA and the San Carlos police from arrested distributors of prohibited drugs were also traced to have originated from Balamban, police records show.

Villaren who was presented yesterday by Ordaniel to Senior Supt. Rosendo Franco, provincial police director of Negros Occidental, and his two companions, were also subjected to drug testing at the police Crime Laboratory in Bacolod City.

The three are now detained at the police station jail of Escalante.*GPB

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Army's 3ID has
new commander

The Army's 3rd Infantry Division whose operating units are deployed in Negros, Panay,Cebu and Bohol, has a new commander.

Army chief Romeo Tolentino has designated Brig. Gen. Nestor Ochoa as officer-in-charge of the 3rd Infantry Division stationed at Camp Macario Peralta in Jamindan, Capiz.

Ochoa took over the 3ID command from Maj. Gen. Victor Ibrado who was also designated as commanding general of the Army's Special Operations Command, on March 1.

SOCOM supervises the Scout Ranger and Special Forces Regiments, elite units of the Philippine Army presently actively involved in the campaign against Abu Sayyaf bandits in Basilan and Sulo provinces.

Ochoa was assigned as deputy commander of the 303rd Infantry Brigade in Negros island, during the May 2004 elections. Major Generals Jovenal Narcise and Jeffrey Sodusta were reported to be among the candidates vying for the position of 3ID commander.*GPB

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TMU URGES
Cooperate in reducing traffic jam

An appeal to jeepney drivers and commuters to cooperate with the Bacolod traffic officers in reducing traffic congestion in the city was aired yesterday by Police Insp. Levy Pangue, head of the Bacolod Traffic Management Unit.

Pangue said the recent traffic experiment has eased the traffic flow in the downtown areas, compared to the previous scheme being implemented in the city. As of now, Pangue said he could say the TMU and Bacolod Traffic Authority has successfully reduce the traffic problem in major streets of the city and he is hoping this will continue until the end of this month.

He said the opening of the SM City at Bacolod reclamation area had caused traffic congestion for three days, but now he considered the traffic problem manageable. Pangue said he is appealing to motorists and commuters to strictly observe traffic rules and regulations, especially in the loading and unloading zones.

Jeepney drivers should load and unload passengers eight meters away from the street corners and intersection areas to avoid creating traffic congestion, he said.

He said he has deployed 12 traffic enforcers and six motorcycle cops at Bacolod reclamation area to assist the traffic flow at SM City.

So far, the TMU had recorded two minor vehicular accidents involving public utility jeepneys at Rizal-San Juan streets Saturday, Pangue said.*DMG

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