Ex-soldier facing raps
for shooting of civilian

A former Army soldier was locked up in jail and is facing frustrated homicide charges, in connection with the shooting of a civilian in Brgy. Andres Bonifacio, Sagay City, Negros Occidental on March 31.

Supt. William Señoron, Sagay police chief, yesterday identified the detained former Army soldier as Jaime Escala, 46, a resident of the barangay.

Señoron said the shooting took place after heated arguments arose between Escala and the victim identified as Antonio Melgar, 53, that resulted in a fistfight.

Police investigations show that Melgar got a .45 caliber pistol tucked in his waist, however, Escala managed to disarm Melgar and used the gun in shooting the victim.

Señoron said Melgar was rushed to the Vicente Gustilo District Hospital in Escalante City, with a wound in his abdomen.

Escala immediately surrendered to SPO1 Antonio Cabaluna who responded to the incident, and turned over the homemade .45 caliber pistol with a magazine containing six ammunition, he had recovered from Melgar.

The shooting was witnessed by Celso Canoy who was having coffee with Melgar, at the makeshift coffee shop of Felix Lacanilao in Sitio Sungkip, Brgy. Andres Bonfacio, Sagay City.

Señoron said it is up to Escala to prove in court that it was an act of self-defense, that the pistol recovered by the police owned by Melgar, may also make him liable for illegal possession of firearms.*GPB

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Cops ’manhandled’ me:
trisikad driver

A trisikad driver claimed to a radio station that he was manhandled by police officers in a traffic altercation in Bacolod City yesterday.

Dominador Palma, 55, of Sharina Heights, Brgy. Taculing, Bacolod, told Radyo Agong that three Police Station 6 members dragged him after he was apprehended for going beyond his route near the entrance of Sharina Heights, at about 9 a.m. yesterday.

Palma claimed that he apologized for his violation, but the officers, who were later identified as PO1s Arnel Deles, Adam Vasquez, and Romulo Galvez, still beat him up.

Deles, however, told the DAILY STAR, that if they had indeed manhandled Palma, he would have been badly injured because of his age.

He said Vasquez and Palma grappled for the trisikad after he drove into the highway towards the Libertad Public Market despite the prohibition by the Bacolod City Police Office Traffic Management Unit.

Deles also said that Palma shouted expletives at them and refused to surrender his vehicle, which they eventually managed to take and impound.

Trisikad drivers who go beyond their routes in their barangays and ply the main roads of the city have claimed that they do so because of the increasing competition between them that results in less income.*PP

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Burglar collared

Two days after he broke into an eatery in Bacolod City, the suspect was arrested by the police yesterday.

Andy Cayao, 30, of Purok Lampirong, Brgy. 2, Bacolod, was nabbed by Police Station 2 members PO2 Anthony Marijana and PO1 Dax Santillan at the corner of Aguinaldo-B.S. Aquino streets, Bacolod, at about 7 a.m. yesterday.

Police records show that Cayao was positively identified by Armando Abitan as the person he had hit with a lead pipe when he forcibly entered Mom’s Fastfood at San Agustin Street, Brgy. 5, Bacolod, at about 2 a.m. Sunday, police reports said.

Abitan told police investigators that Cayao had already opened the cash drawer of the shop when he (Abitan) attacked him with the pipe.

Cayao, a trisikad driver, admitted breaking into the eatery, saying that he and his companion, he identified only as “Michael”, were tempted to do it as they passed by the area.

Recovered from Cayao were a wrench, assorted keys, and an ATM card with the name of Emma Gange, while “Michael”, who is also from Purok Lampirong, is still at large, police records show.

Police Station 2 commander, Senior Inspector Luisito Acebuche, said that while they understand the economic difficulties of many people, it is still not an excuse engaging into illegal activities such as stealing.*PP

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