Robber linked to slay
of taxi driver arrested
SHABU PARAPHERNALIA ALSO SEIZED

A suspected robber tagged in the killing of a taxi driver two months ago was arrested by law enforcers in a raid at a pension house in Bacolod City yesterday.

Dindo Barcillo, 25, of Rizal Street, Zone 9, Talisay City, Negros Occidental, was nabbed by Police Station 2 and City Mobile Group members led by Senior Inspector Luisito Acebuche at 11th Pension House at 11th Street, Bacolod, at about 9:30 a.m., police records showed.

Three other persons, including Barillo’s younger brother, Armando Jr., 21, were also detained for separate charges.

Acebuche said they barged into the Monet Room of the commercial outfit after their undercover officer, PO1 Mewyen Oñas, had confirmed that Dindo was there.

The older Barcillo is among the suspects pinpointed by a teenage boy in the fatal shooting of David Gallego Jr. at Purok Sigay, Brgy. 2, in the city, at about 11:30 p.m. on April 27, Acebuche said.

A 15-year-old boy was earlier apprehended for Gallego’s death, which was blamed on alleged drug deals and a love affair.

The officers had an arrest warrant for robbery against the older Barcillo, issued by Regional Trial Court Branch 54 Judge Demosthenes Magallanes, police reports said.

As the cops searched through the brothers’ belongings, they found plastic sachets with traces of suspected shabu, rolled foils, a lighter, and a tooter.

Barcillo denied involvement in Gallego’s killing and refused to comment on the suspected prohibited drugs and paraphernalia confiscated from him.

Armando, meanwhile, insisted that he was just visiting his brother but Acebuche said he was detained because he admitted to using illegal drugs because the lighter and tooter was found on the bed where he had been lying during the operation.

Meanwhile, the pension house’s security guard, Jessie Alintan, and its operations officer, Joseph Tinamisan, were also arrested for harboring a criminal and obstruction of justice, respectively, Acebuche said.

He said that Alintan allegedly repeatedly told them that Dindo was not there before finally leading them to the suspect’s room.

Alintan, however, said that he was just trying to confirm which Dindo the officers were looking for, because there are many men with such name in the area.

Tinamisan, on the other hand, was detained after he allegedly tried to stop the officers from arresting Alintan, Acebuche said.

Tinamisan, however, explained that he just tried to tell them that he needed to inform his superiors at the Nieva Security Agency and General Services about the apprehension.

Aside from Dindo’s pending robbery charge, Acebuche said they will also file murder charges for Gallego’s killing and cases for violations of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 against him.

Armando, meanwhile, will also be charged with violations of R.A. 9165 if he tests positive for drug use at the Philippine National Police Crime Laboratory, Acebuche added.*PP

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Police Beat Title 2s

Death

The police said that natural reasons caused the death of a man whose body was found at a grassy area near a motel in Bacolod City, Monday although two of his companions were questioned yesterday.

Bacolod Police Station 6 commander, Chief Inspector Ulysses Ortiz, said that cardiac arrest caused the death of Randy Castro based on the autopsy conducted by Dr. Ruel Martinez of the Philippine National Police Crime Laboratory.

Castro’s remains were found by Josephine Trasmonte near a motel in Brgy. Taculing, Bacolod, at about 1 p.m. with a wound on the head but Ortiz said, that the injury may have been caused by his fall when he was struck by the heart ailment.

Castro, who was earlier tagged only as “Mr. X”, was later identified by his aunt, Ortiz said.

Ortiz said that they invited Jeffrey Blanca, 39, and Roland Nuñez, 36, both of Brgy. Taculing, for questioning because they were the last persons with Castro before his death.

They were allowed to leave the station after the questioning, Ortiz said.

The two told the police that they had earlier engaged in a drinking spree with Castro before they separated.*PP

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