Station chief to shed light
on ‘mauled’ inmate’s case

The National Bureau of Investigation has invited a police station commander for investigation on the complaint of a security guard who claimed he was left to be mauled by his fellow inmates at the precinct detention cell in Bacolod City last month.

NBI Bacolod chief, Mamerto Cortez, told Radyo Agong yesterday that Police Station 1 commander, Chief Inspector Noel Manaay, will be asked to clarify what happened on April 15 in his precinct where the alleged mauling of Jaime Marquez took place.

Marquez, a security guard at the De la Rama Center in Bacolod, claimed that despite his pleas not to be detained near Mark Tan, Manaay put him there and he was indeed mauled by Tan and two other inmates at the station’s lock-up cell.

Police investigation showed that Marquez had a scuffle with Tan and his wife, Michelle, who are both cellphone brokers, at the De la Rama building when the guard refused to let them enter the establishment on the instruction of its management to bar brokers there.

Marquez said he had to be treated at the Riverside Medical Center because blood had clogged in one of his kidneys after the manhandling.

Tan had admitted mauling Marquez at the cell but denied that other inmates helped him.

Manaay said he is willing to cooperate with the investigation. He had, however, maintained earlier that he was forced to put both Marquez and Tan in the cell because they continued to shout at each other even during investigation at the station, but they had actually stopped them from fighting.*PP

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3 apprehended
for loose guns
IN SAN CARLOS

Two men and a minor were arrested for illegal possession of firearms in San Carlos City and Calatrava, in Negros Occidental, Monday, police records show.

Supt. Harold Tuzon, San Carlos police chief, yesterday said a homemade 12-gauge-shotgun with an empty shell was recovered from the possession of a 16-year-old who was arrested by SPO2 Lamberto Mirande at Fatima Village, Brgy. Rizal, in San Carlos.

Tuzon added that the minor, whose identity is being withheld by the police, is now under the custody of the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

Two persons were also arrested by PO3 Jose Corpin in Brgy. Tigbon, Calatrava, for having two unlicensed firearms.

Inspector Danilo Zuniega, Calatrava police chief, yesterday identified the arrested suspects as Tommy Lumanat,22, and his cousin, Jesus Lumanat, both town residents.

Zuniega said a .22 caliber pistol and a homemade .38 caliber revolver with ammunition were recovered by Corpin from the two suspects, who are now locked up in jail.*GPB

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Murder suspect collared

The Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office Intelligence office and the Philippine National Police in Cadiz City led by PC/Insp. Jefferson Descallar arrested Lito Panagiton alias “Joselito Roquero” at Kanla-on View, Murcia, Negros Occidental Saturday morning, for murder.

Panagiton, of Hda. Lacson, Brgy. Caduha-an, Cadiz City, 44, has a pending warrant of arrest issued in 2005 by Judge Renato Muñez of the Regional Trial Court Branch 60, a press release from the Cadiz PNP said.

Panagiton is now detained at the lock-up cell of Cadiz City Police Station, and no bail was recommended for his temporary liberty.*

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‘City cop relieved for drugs’

A police officer has been relieved over reports of alleged irregularities in a stake-out operation that he and his companions conducted in Bacolod City last month.

Bacolod City Police Office director, Senior Supt. Ronilo Quebrar, confirmed the transfer of PO2 Arthur Alejano from Police Station 2 to the City Mobile Group “for the good of the service.”

He denied that the transfer was due to allegations that Alejano had failed to endorse an undetermined amount of money to their station, after he and his companions recovered the cash and a container of drugs from an unidentified man during a stake-out patrol in Purok Kagaykay, Brgy. 2, Bacolod, last month.

BCPO Investigation and Intelligence Branch chief, Supt. Pedrito Escarilla confirmed the investigation on Alejano but refused to specify why.

Alejano, who confirmed that he was transferred to the CMG Tuesday, said that he did not find money in the bag of the unidentified man, except the plastic container of drugs he and a police trainee found in it later.

He said that he and three other officers were patrolling in the area because of reports that drug dealings were going on there, but they had not specific target as only the BCPO Drug Enforcement Unit and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency are authorized to conduct raids.

Alejano said he found cash in the man’s pocket but did not touch it and, instead, paid more attention to the bag when he frisked him.

The man was being held by the trainee but he managed to run and escape.

Meanwhile, Quebrar and Acebuche encouraged the unidentified man to surface and file his complaint.*PP

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Driver bumps
10 year-old, surrenders

The driver who hit a 10-year-old boy at Hda. Maya, Brgy. Cabahug in Cadiz, Negros Occidental, voluntarily surrendered to the Cadiz City police yesterday afternoon, a press release from the police unit said.

Celvane Caso, 40, of Gomez, Brgy. 4, Isabela town, who was driving a Fuso jeep with Plate No. FWL-327 plying the Isabela-Kabankalan route and owned by Carlos Gepullano, bumped 10-year-old Noel Franco. The boy is now confined at the Dr. Pablo O. Torre Medical Center in Bacolod City.

Caso, who is now detained at the Cadiz City Police Station detention cell, will be charged with reckless imprudence resulting in serious physical injuries, the press release added.*

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