Marchel P. Espina

The Police Regional Office-6 (PRO-6), in its intensified campaign against wanted persons, arrested 779 fugitives in a month-long operation.Of the number, 123 were tagged as most wanted persons (MWP) and 656 were other wanted persons (OWP).Negros Occidental topped the arrest of MWP in August with 48, followed by Iloilo province with 23, Aklan – 14, Capiz – 10, Bacolod City – 9, Antique – 8, Iloilo – 6, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group - Regional Field Unit 6 (CIDG-RFU6) – 4 and Guimaras with 1.Negros Occidental also topped the arrested OWP with 348, Iloilo province – 107, Bacolod City – 52, Antique – 37, CIDG-RFU6 – 32, Capiz – 27, Iloilo City – 26, Aklan – 20, and Guimaras – 7.“This notable accomplishment is an indication of the commitment and dedication of all ou...

A septuagenarian woman was found dead at Pantalan Daan, Barangay Tuguis, Hinigaran, Negros Occidental, on Saturday, September 10.The fatality was identified as 75-year-old Virginia Barroca.The elderly woman was found lying lifelessly under an improvised shed with no injuries found on her body.She was then brought to Hinigaran Medical Clinic where she was declared dead on arrival by an attending physician.According to neighbors, the woman was living alone in a temporary shelter, the police said.*

A street-level drug personality was arrested in a buy-bust operation at Nacab Village, Brgy. Bubog, Talisay City, Negros Occidental, Thursday night, September 8.Nabbed was 36-year-old John Richard “Pedro” Mabansag.Recovered from his possession were four grams of suspected shabu worth P27,200, the P500 buy-bust money, P320 in cash proceeds, drug paraphernalia, and an improvised shotgun with 12-gauage ammunition.The suspect is in police custody and will face charges for illegal possession of drugs and firearm.*

The drug paraphernalia recovered from a barangay kagawad.*Kabankalan PNP photoA kagawad of Barangay Dancalan, Ilog, Negros Occidental, was arrested at a police checkpoint in Brgy. 1, Kabankalan City, Thursday, September 8, for possession of drug paraphernalia.Nabbed was Cyrell Castañares, 40.While at the checkpoint, the motorcycle ridden by the kagawad stopped, and when the policemen approached him and his companion, the suspect allegedly threw something to the ground.It turned out to be an improvised glass tooter and plastic straw scoop with traces of suspected shabu.Also recovered from him were an improvised aluminum canister and disposable lighter.The kagawad is now in police custody.*

The Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (NOCPPO) has stepped up its measures to address the rampant robbery cases in the province.Lt. Judesses Catalogo, NOCPPO public information officer, said Thursday, September 8, that 43 robbery cases were reported in August alone, the most number of incidents this year.Only 13 of these cases are still under investigation because the victims are not willing to cooperate with the police, he said.He said that it was during the dead season in the sugar industry when criminality increased.Personnel of delivery vans, who were collecting sales in sari-sari stores, were mostly the victims, he said.The robbery incidents led NOCPPO to form the Joint Anti-Bank Robbery Action Committee, which tapped financial institutions, bankers, deliv...

The encounter site at Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental.*303rd IB photoThe Leonardo Panaligan Command of the New People's Army (NPA) claimed that the encounter between the rebels and the state troopers at Brgy. Trinidad in Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental, Wednesday, September 7, was “fake.”There was no NPA unit in the area when the incident happened, it claimed.The soldiers of the 62nd Infantry “Unifier” Battalion were at the site after reports that rebels were sighted in the area, which resulted to the clash with eight NPA members, the Army statement said.The five-minute firefight led to the death of 45-year-old Greg “Jordan” Cantilla, an alleged member of Sentro De Grabidad Platoon, CN1, and a resident of Brgy. Sandayao, Guihulngan City.The NPA claimed that the “massa...

Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez has proposed that three Negros Occidental provincial government officials and a former Philippine Health Insurance Corp. executive be made consultants of Bacolod City.The request of Benitez to sign the consultancy agreements between the city government and the four was taken up during the Bacolod Sangguniang Panlungsod regular session Wednesday, September 7.The provincial government officials are offering their services on a pro bono basis.The four are:*Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz Il as consultant for Administrative Matters andSystems Review*Teresita Lopez Jalandoni Provincial Hospital chief Dr. Mary Ann P. Maestral as consultant for Health and Hospital Concerns*Provincial Investment Officer Lucille Gelvolea as consulta...

The encounter site at Brgy. Trinidad, Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental.*303rd IB photoA suspected New People’s Army (NPA) member died in an encounter with government troopers at Sitio Manlibod, Brgy. Trinidad, Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental, Wednesday, September 7.The soldiers of the 62nd Infantry “Unifier” Battalion responded to the information that rebels were sighted in the area, which resulted to the encounter with eight NPA members.The five-minute firefight led to the death of 45-year-old Greg “Jordan” Cantilla, an alleged member of Sentro De Grabidad Platoon, CN1, and a resident of Brgy. Sandayao, Guihulngan City.Recovered from the encounter site were a .45 caliber pistol with SN M08113971 with two magazines loaded with live rounds, a hand grenade, live ammunition f...

A suspected drug personality escaped police operatives during a raid at his home in Barangay Poblacion 1, Sagay City, Negros Occidental on Monday, September 5.The police were acting on a search warrant issued against 47-year-old Jojit Fernandez for illegal possession of drugs and firearms.Maj. Roberto Indiape Jr., Sagay police chief, said the suspect escaped through a secret passageway in his house after sensing the presence of the policemen.He added the police failed to see the passageway.During the raid, the police seized 12 grams of suspected shabu worth P81,600, a .45 caliber pistol with three magazines and 19 ammunition, a .38 caliber homemade revolver with two ammunition, .22 caliber revolver with 10 ammunition, and several drugs paraphernalia.Indiape said the sus...

The scene of the accident in La Castellana.* La Castellana PNP photoA senior citizen died while his minor grandson was injured after the e-tricycle they were riding on was hit by an ambulance at Hda. Layagon Road, Brgy. Lalagsan, La Castellana, Negros Occidental, Monday night, September 5.Killed was 72-year-old Emeterio Ordas, while his 12-year-old grandson sustained injuries.The ambulance came from La Carlota City going to Isabela when it hit the e-tricycle that it was tailing.The driver may not have seen the e-trike because part of the road was dark and it was raining, the police said.The ambulance was not carrying a patient when it happened.Isabela ambulance driver Jether Yutob was detained by the La Castellana police.*