Man killed in road mishap

Poor street lighting and fast driving are among the reasons eyed behind the death of 22-year-old man in a late night road accident in Bacolod City Thursday, the police said yesterday.

Noli Balitausan of Alunan Avenue, Brgy. 35, Bacolod, died on the spot after he was hit by the Toyota Hi-ace van driven by Jose Ng Jr., 52, of Villa Soledad, Brgy. Estefania, at Burgos Extension, at about 11 p.m. Thursday, police reports said.

Ng told PO2 Regino Rex Eduardo of the Bacolod Traffic Management Unit that he did not see Balitausan while the latter was crossing the street.

Eduardo also said the lights of the street posts in the area were out at that time.

Reports said Balitausan had just left the chicken lechon stand where he worked to fetch his girlfriend when he was hit by Ng’s vehicle.

Eduardo said Ng was driving fast as shown by the damage on his van’s front bumper and that Balitausan could have survived if he was driving slowly.

Ng was detained at Police Station 4 after the incident until yesterday morning, when he was brought to the Doctor’s Hospital after his blood pressure shot up, SPO1 Willie Perez, a station member, said.

Eduardo said Balitausan and Ng’s respective families have discussed the settlement of the case.*PP

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Woman, daughter
knifed in Bacolod

Old grudges between neighbors could have triggered a hacking incident that left two persons injured in Bacolod City yesterday, the police said.

Moncilita Opina, 53, and her daughter, Mayo Hillana, 17, were brought to the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital with wounds on their heads when they were allegedly hacked by their neighbor, Rolando Panaligan, 63, at about 7 a.m. yesterday, police records show.

The two were discharged from the hospital after their treatment, SPO1 Hermelo Jalandoni of Police Station 2, said.

The Opinas and Panaligans have had previous spats and pent up grudges may have pushed the suspect to attack the two with a bolo in Purok Kagaykay, Brgy. 2, Jalandoni said.

He said Panaligan, who fled after the incident, is still at-large.

Jalandoni also said the conflict may be eventually settled as he will refer it to the Lupon ng Barangay.*PP

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Charcoal vendor
nabbed for ‘sumpak’

Business rivalry sent a charcoal vendor to jail after he was arrested by the police for alleged illegal possession of a homemade firearm or “sulpak” in Bacolod City Thursday night.

Ronaldo Susan, 38, of Brgy. Bato, Sagay City, Negros Occidental, was nabbed by Police Station 2 and City Mobile Group cops for alleged possession of an improvised 12-gauge shotgun with four bullets at Narra Baybay, Brgy. 8, Bacolod, at about 8 p.m. Thursday, police records show.

Salvacion Hipanao told the police Susan threatened her son with the gun after a confrontation.

Susan, who admitted keeping the gun for self-defense, however, denied threatening Hipanao’s son, saying he had not left his residence and was even surprised when he realized his neighbors had called up the police.

Their conflict started when he stopped selling charcoal to the Hipanaos and partnered with another retailer, he said.

The Hipanaos have allegedly been making it hard for him and his business partner whenever they unload sacks of charcoal near their house.

Police records show, on the other hand, that Susan tried to escape when the officers arrived and even threw the gun towards his neighbor’s house before he was arrested.*PP

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