Personal grudges eyed in
Talisay kagawad's slay

The police yesterday said that personal grudges triggered the killing of a Talisay City barangay kagawad, Felomino Paragat, in Bacolod City last week.

Police Station 3 commander, Senior Inspector Leonardo Borromeo, said their investigation showed that the motive for the fatal shooting of Paragat is personal.

Paragat, a member of the Brgy. Zone 12 council in Talisay, Negros Occidental, was found wounded near his vehicle at Lacson Street , Brgy. Bata, in Bacolod on December 28 last year. He later died of gunshot wounds in his head, police records showed.

SPO2 Nilo Sumagaysay, Police Station 3 Intelligence and Investigation desk chief, had earlier said that they are considering the case solved as they have identified Paragat's killer based on the testimony of a witness who saw them together before the killing.

Sumagaysay added, however, that they cannot divulge the suspect's name yet so as not to hamper their investigation.

Borromeo, meanwhile, said that they are looking for more witnesses to strengthen their case against Paragat's killer.*PP

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DETAINEE'S ESCAPE
Perform tasks
diligently, cops urged

A Bacolod City police officer is now facing possible suspension over the escape of a rape suspect last week.

PO3 Rene Labating could be given a 15-day suspension without pay if proven that he had been negligent in his tasks as a jailer, which led to the escape of Avelino Romanillos from Police Station 10 on January 4, the precinct's commander, Inspector Adonis Rosales, said.

Labating and his team leader, SPO1 Willie Yap, of Police Station 10, have been investigated after, Romanillos, 20, who was detained for a sexual-molestation complaint by his live-in partner, escaped under their watch.

Rosales said that, unlike Yap 's accounts on the incident, he found Labating's explanation in his written report unjustifiable, prompting him to submit the recommendation to Bacolod City Police Office director, Senior Supt. Ronilo Quebrar.

Quebrar, however, said that Labating can still continue rendering service to Police Station 10 because he will still undergo a summary hearing after Rosale's reports is evaluated by the BCPO Intelligence and Investigation Branch through a pre-charge investigation.

Rosales said after a review of Labating's and Yap's individual written reports, he decided that the team leader had done his part in reminding his group members, including Labating, of their responsibilities and that Romanillos' escape was “beyond his control.”

But he saw lapses on Labating's part, he added.

Labating, who was also the desk officer at the station at that time, had earlier told his commander that Romanillos fled when he was pacifying a group of people reporting an incident.

Meanwhile, Rosales said they are still searching for Romanillos as the rape case against him would now likely push through because his live-in partner's parents have refused to settle the matter with his family.*PP

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