IN WV
COMELEC gun ban
key to peaceful polls

The police has attributed the generally peaceful and orderly conduct of the May 14 election in the region to the successful implementation of the Comelec gun ban in Western Visayas.

Senior Supt. Norlito Bautista, Western Visayas Community Relations Officer, said the confiscation of 239 firearms and 14 explosives was very significant because it meant they were able to prevent loss of lives. "Imagine, if all of these firearms were fired it would have caused the death of a number of people, many could have been harassed, or they could have been used to snatch ballots. These firearms could also have been used in disrupting the peace and order," Bautista said.

Of the 239 confiscated firearms, 66 were seized in Bacolod City.

Three more firearms were seized by the police on May 15 and 18 in the cities of Escalante and Sagay. Bautista also reported that checkpoints not only yielded guns and ammunition but also netted P300,000 in cash, 150 pieces of money envelopes, and three hand-held radios.

"This only proves that we were successful in our campaign to have an honest and peaceful election. Our policemen have really done their share; they really made sure that the elections will be honest, orderly and peaceful," he stressed.

Bautista said the campaign for the election gun ban continues as the election period will end on June 14 yet and some politicians might refuse to accept their defeat and disrupt the peace and order in their communities.*GPB

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BCPO intensifies drive
vs. rising 'petty crimes'

The Bacolod City PNP will step up its operations against "small time thieves" to stop the rising number of "petty crimes" in the city, BCPO director Senior Supt. Ronilo Quebrar said yesterday.

Quebrar said that apprehending small "local boys" who engage in petty thefts such as cellphone snatching in the city's streets is a basic part of their responsibilities, but they will intensify their crackdown against them.

He added that these snatchers, whom he called "opportunity strikers", do not belong to an organized group but act individually.

"If there is no opportunity such as an expensive cellphone or jewelry (being displayed), they will not strike," Quebrar said. He added that people should take precautions so they will not be victimized by robbers who, he said, usually stage robberies at night.

"(People) should refrain from roaming around at night especially in dark areas," Quebrar said.

Meanwhile, Quebrar also said the BCPO will still be on alert even if the elections have ended already.

He said that even if the May 14 polls had been generally peaceful and orderly, the city's police is still ready to act on any untoward incidents. Their election-related operations will still continue until June 30, he added.*PP

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6 minors nabbed
for theft, ruby use

Six minors were arrested by the police yesterday and late Saturday in Bacolod City for allegedly stealing assorted kinds of metal and for using an illegal substance, police reports said.

Security guards Andrew Prudenciado and Uldarico Castero of ACME Security Agency, endorsed two of them, aged 12 and 13, to the Police Station 4 for allegedly stealing and burning electrical wires at the BMMC Compound in Brgy. 41.

Prudenciado and Uldarico recovered about nine meters of partially burned wire from the minors, whose names are being withheld by the DAILY STAR, and who are both from Hacienda Culajao, Silay City, Negros Occidental. Three of their companions escaped but were identified as a certain "Robert", "Jackson", and "Toto", all of Mayon Street, Brgy. Villamonte.

A resident of Purok Hervias 2, Brgy. Villamonte also nabbed a 15-year-old boy who, along with two other minors identified as alias "Colocoy" and "Jenard", allegedly stole four meters of barbed wire from her house at about 12 p.m. Saturday.

Dolores Torib, 53, endorsed to Police Station 4 a certain "Rommel" who admitted they cut the fence of her compound before they took the wire, police reports said.

"Colocoy" and "Jenard", on the other hand, fled later, police reports also said.

Meanwhile, Police Station 1 officers arrested Jomarie Mondejar, 19, and three other minors for allegedly sniffing rugby in Brgy. 16 at about 11:10 on May 19.

Recovered from the suspects were two plastic pouches and two plastic bottles containing suspected rugby, police records showed.*PP

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