Three troopers of the Negros Occidental PNP Public Safety Management Company are facing arrest by their colleagues, after an arrest warrant for the crime of qualified theft was issued by Cadiz Regional Trial Court Judge Renato Munez, who also denied their motion for bail.

Chief Supt. Samuel Pagdilao, regional police director of Negros Occidental, yesterday ordered Senior Supt. Manuel Felix to immediately arrest SPO4 Jose Gargar, SPO2 Aladino Docil and PO3 Dante Honrado, all assigned at the Public Safety Management Company in Sagay City.

Their arrest stemmed from the complaint of businessman Alfredo Villacastin about the missing scrap iron worth P65,000 he owned that was confiscated by the suspects last year.

Asked why the arrest warrant had not been served to the three policemen, Senior Insp. Gabriel Gutierrez, Sagay police chief, said he was furnished the copy of the arrest warrant only at 5 p.m. on Thursday.

Court records show that Villacastin, owner of the Irene Junkshop in Cadiz City, complained that the five tons of scrap iron he had bought in Bantayan, Cebu, were taken by the respondents who allegedly sold it for P29,000.

The respondent-policemen admitted having taken the scrap materials in March last year, but claimed they were abandoned, and the complainant has no business permit or permit to transport at the time of their purchase. They also said it was kept safely in their headquarters and this negates any intent to gain.

Sagay City Prosecutor Ranela de la Fuente, however, recommended the filing of charges against the three policemen in her resolution.

Pagdilao, who presided over the command conference yesterday among Negros Occidental police chiefs at the East View Hotel in Bacolod City, also announced that two policemen, and several Bantay Dagat members of Guimaras, allegedly responsible for the strafing of Bacolod fishermen Friday last week, has been placed under restriction, pending investigation of the incident.

This was in response to complaints aired yesterday during a media dialog by Suzette Guadalupe, owner of a fishing boat, who told Pagdilao that one of her crew members was hit in the stomach.

Pagdilao said he will closely monitor the investigation of the incident. The identities of the two Guimaras policemen, however, were not available yet.

While he is fast in punishing erring policemen, Pagdilao said he will do his utmost best to support law enforcers charged while doing job-related work.

He advised police officers facing charges to seek assistance from the PNP Legal Service.

Among those facing charges in Negros Occidental are Chief Inspectors Simeon Gane, Rico Santotome, Jefferson Descallar and Senior Inspector Ariel Pico.*GPB

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