Man wanted in Cagayan falls in Kalinga

Tabuk City, Kalinga - A man wanted for a case of robbery with homicide in Penablanca, Cagayan was arrested by operatives of the Kalinga Provincial Police Office (KPPO) night of April 15,2008 in his house at Magaogao, Pinukpuk, this province.

Inspector Abraham Galingan who headed the ar-resting team informed the media that Nestor Merin, 29, single, and resident of Magaogao was asleep in his house when the police served the alias warrant of arrest issued by Judge Jezarene Aquino of the Regional Trial Court Branch 5 of Tuguegarao City, Cagayan.

Galingan said that the arrest came after an intelligence report that Merin was sighted in Magaogao turned out positive.

Galingan said that Merin was implicated in the break-in of the house of Penablanca businessman Hermogenes Addun which resulted in the killing of Addun sometime in December 2006.

The police official said that after Lupo Tuliao of Buyan, Penablanca was arrested in Tuga, this city, sometime in December 2006, for a different crime, he revealed his involvement in the Addun robbery case and likewise pointed to Merin, Agustin Cawilan of Camalog, Pinukpuk, and Peter Bakulen of Pinukpuk as his companions which prompted the filing of a of robbery with homicide case against them.

Merin admitted that he was with the group during the incident but claimed that it was his companions who entered the house of Addun.

The arrest of Merin came at the heels of the apprehension of Hadji Obal, the No. 5 most wanted man in the Cordillera, at sitio Dalimuno, Bantay, this city, at 4 AM of April 9.

Galingan who also headed the arresting team said that the arrest was made in compliance with the warrant of arrest issued by Judge Marcelino Wacas of Regional Trial Court Branch 25 of this city for the crimes of double murder and frustrated murder. **By Estanislao Albano, Jr.

Body of missing person found

Tabuk City, Kalinga – The dead body of the gatekeeper of the National Irrigation Administration Chico River System at Bado Dangwa, this city, who went missing during the height of typhoon Kabayan night of November 4 has been found in Faire, Piat Cagayan on November 8.

Office of the Civil Defense provincial officer Cristeta Reyes said that the searchers from Malin-awa, this city, village of victim Elpidio Balawag, 54, married, were led to his body by Faire residents who were fishing along the Chico river.

Mary Pidcasen, 54, married, residents of Malin-awa, this city who reported the matter to the police the following day, said that Balawag went to close to close the gate at around 7 PM of November 4 and that was the last time he was seen.

Residents of Malin-awa believe that Balawag was carried away by the strong water current of the Chico river brought about by heavy rains spawned by the typhoon Kabayan and drowned. The gate of the dam is across the river from Malin-awa.

Malin-awa residents as well as those of the other barangays in the area use the dam to cross the Chico river which is overflowed by water when the river is swollen.

Despite NIA authorities prohibiting people from crossing the Chico river on the dam, they persist in doing so and since the construction of the dam in the early 80s, at least 10 people have already died after they were carried away by the current while crossing the river on top of the dam. **Estanislao Albano Jr.

Kalinga police: Torn between 2 Regions

TABUK CITY, Kalinga - The implementation of General Order DPL 09-11 issued a month ago by then Philippine National Police Director General Oscar Calderon placing the police commands of Kalinga and Apayao under the control and supervision of Police Regional Office 2 (PR02) has put the two commands in a confusing situation.

That's because instead of fully transferring control of the two police forces to PR02, the police authorities of PR02 and the Police Regional Office-Cordillera Administrative Region (PROCAR) have decided that only the operations of the Kalinga and Apayao commands be transferred to PR02 while the administration will remain with PROCAR.

Kalinga OIC-Provincial Director Florante Camuyot told the media that he gathered during a PROCAR police command conference last week that the Philippine National Police (PNP) leadership is hesitant to fully implement the general order because of the threat of being charged administratively and criminally for undermining Executive Order 220 which created the CAR.

He identified the local officials of the region and the Integrated Bar of the Philippines as the groups poised to file the charges against the PNP lead­ership on account of the general order.

Camuyot said that with both regional offices issuing direct orders to the two police commands, "there is confusion sometimes."

He cited the case of the security preparations for the coming barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections where he has to deal with the PROCAR for financial support and with PRO2 for troop augmentation.

Camuyot also said that their gas allowance which is not much to begin with is also being affected by the situation because he has to attend command conferences in both regions.

"There are a lot of work where we need the assistance of a boss. We do not know whom to turn to now," he said.

Camuyot expressed the wish that the issue under which region the Kalinga and Apayao police would be finally placed should be resolved at the soonest possible time "for us to know our real boss and to remove the confusion."

Camuyot also said that with the Kalinga LGU vehemently opposed to the transfer of control and supervision of the Kalinga police to PR02, some of the command's activities have been hampered.

He cited the directive of PR02 for the conduct of a command conference regarding the deputation of tanods and auxiliary units in the province but he is hesitant to set it up because he doubts it will be productive considering the non-acceptance of Kalinga officials of the general order.

He added the Kalinga government expressed Willingness to give some fund for physical improvements in Camp Juan Duyan, the police headquarters here, but since the issuance of the general order, he noticed that the local officials are no longer as keen on pushing through with the project. **By Estanislao Albano, Jr., Zigzag Weekly, Oct. 14, 2007

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