2 highway robbers surrendered by tribemates

Tabuk City, Kalinga - Two persons, one of whom is a minor, who pulled off a highway robbery in a notorious stick up area in the gateway to the city evening of may 21 were surrendered by their barangaymates morning of may 23.

Police identified the suspects who they say both admitted to the crime as Canwell Dalignoc and a seventeen year old male person. Both are single, residents of Nambaran, this city, and members of the Tulgao Tribe.

They were surrendered to the police by a group of Tulgao tribesmen headed by Nambaran barangay captain Rolando Baswit and PO3 Miguel Aboli. The group included the father of the minor.

The police said that so far, three of the more or less 10 passengers of the public utility jeepney with plate number AYC 926 came forward to file complaints against the duo after learning they have been taken into police custody.

The driver claimed the duo divested him P2,400.00 personal money and P2,300.00 collection while one passenger said that he lost a Nokia 1112 cellphone and P800.00 cash while another alleged the holduppers took her P1,300.00.

Nambaran is a notorious hold-up area but the frequency of the incidents drastically dropped after the dead bodies of the three alleged highway robbers two of whom were residents of Nambaran were found in Isabela sometime late last year.

The police said that upon learning of the latest robbery and suspecting that it is again the handiwork of their tribemates, the people of Nambaran exerted efforts to ferret out the culprits which led to the identification of the minor who, upon being confronted by his father, admitted to the crime and revealed the name of his cohort Dalignoc.

The police said that the father of the minor has since executed and affidavit against the two suspects.

The police related that the two suspects who boarded the jeep pretending to be passengers before the barangay center stopped the vehicle upon reaching the outskirts of the barangay and declared a hold-up.

According to the police, Dalignoc and the minor were armed with .38 caliber pistol and a knife, respectively. **Estanislao Albano, Jr.

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.

Five dead in three shooting incidents in Kalinga

Tabuk City, Kalinga - Five persons were killed and three others were injured in three shooting incidents in this province this week.

At around 6 AM of February 12 in Macutay, Rizal town, Dominic Orpella Soliman, 27, Jackson Barcellano Marcos, 17, and Pedro Barcellano, 54, were going to their farm on board a hand tractor cum trailer when they were ambushed by two unidentified men.

The police said the three were killed instantly. SOCO personnel found 14 empty shells and one live bullet for a cal. 5.56 M14 rifle.

The police said they still have to determine the motive of the killing.

At around 11:30 PM of February 13, William Gonzalo, 40, was also killed while P03 Oliver Camuyot, JayR Angyuda, 17, and Fred Reyes, Jr. were injured in a shooting incident which took place in the Bradford Refreshment and Music Lounge in Bulanao, this city.

In their initial report of the incident, the police said that policemen who responded to the bursts of gunfire which emanated from the music lounge found Gonzalo, Camuyot and Angyuda sprawled on the floor with gunshot wounds. The wounds of Gonzalo were fatal, the report said.

According to the same report, the police also found Reyes hiding infront of a nearby residence with a gunshot wound in the breast and was in possession of a cal. 45 Armscor pistol with an empty magazine.

Citing their initial findings, the police said Camuyot and some companions were drinking at one table when all of a sudden and with no apparent reason, Reyes who was drinking at another table stood up and shot Camuyot hitting him in the left and right thighs.

The police also said that Gonzalo and Angyuda were hit by stray bullets.

The report did not say who shot Reyes.

The police reported that they found nine empty shells and a misfired bullet of a cal. 45 pistol and seven slugs in the crime scene and another empty shell of a cal. 45 pistol in the place where Reyes was located.

At around 3:35 PM of February 14, Reynante Anog, 40, married, farmer and former kagawad of Dilag, this city, was shot dead apparently accidentally in his residence in Bulanao Norte, this city, by a 13 year old neighbor.

According to police investigation, the victim placed a loaded cal. 9mm on their kitchen table and then went to brush his teeth in their sink which is more or less three meters away.

At this point, the boy who just entered the kitchen held the gun and accidentally squeezed the trigger causing the gun to fire hitting the victim in the arm and exiting through his left armpit and entering his breast. Anog did not reach the hospital alive. ** By Estanislao Albano Jr.

Thieves hit two government properties

Tabuk- City, Kalinga - Taking advantage of the work break, thieves ransacked two government properties in this city last weekend.

Sometime on the afternoon of February 9, the grade six room of the Bulanao East Elementary School (BEES) in Bulanao was ransacked with the culprits carting away 10 bags of Northern Cement and some steel bars worth P2,000.00.

BEES principal Henry Alunday and PTCA president Pedro Gayudan reported to the police that the thieves removed the nails which served as lock hinges of the main door.

Alunday and Gayudan brought along with them a grade six pupil of the BEES who revealed that he saw his older brother and two other students of the nearby Kalinga National High School hauling steel bars on the road below the school.

The boy further claimed that the three suspects tried to buy his silence with P75.00 but he declined the bribe.

The police said that the BEES authorities are now negotiating with the parents of the suspects for a possible amicable settlement of the case.

Abraham Gulingan, chief of the Agro-aqua Center Division (ACD) of the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist located at Purok 5, Bulanao reported that their bodega was broken into night of February 10 with the thieves taking away 32 bags of rice seeds.

Gulingan said that the thieves sawed off the two hasp plucks of the door to gain entry into the bodega. He added that 10 bags were eventually recovered in a rice mill in Bulanao Norte where the thieves sold part of their loot.

The rice seeds have a price tag of Pl,150.00 per bag.

Gulingan said that the ACD does not have a security guard because no provincial security personnel wants to be assigned there since 2006 when the living quarters in the compound was fired upon by unidentified men. Since the security office of the provincial government is not assigning any guard to the ACD, he has asked Bulanao barangay captain Virgilio Gunnawa to deploy tanods in the area at night. ** By Estanislao Albano Jr.

Church urges police to expedite investigation of double murder

Tabuk City, Kalinga - The Anglican Church here has asked the police to conduct a speedy investigation of the murder of two of its members whose bodies were found floating in the Chico River late last week.

Fr. Gabriel Dapuyen, dean and rector of the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Bulanao, this city, where Nick Maguinsay, married, resident of Duldulao, Malibcong, Abra but working as small scale miner in Guinaang Pasil, and Joren Maguinsay, 23, single, resident of Luba, Abra, jobless, were last seen alive 5 PM of January 10, that the church has not yet received any information even just where the incident took place.

The priest said that no witness to the crime has yet surfaced.

The body of Nick was fished out of the, Chico River at Pasonglao, Calanan, this city, January 11 while that of Joren were found by farmers floating in Tuliao, also in Calanan 4 PM the following day.

Nick was hogtied with his hands behind his back and his body, bore nine stab wounds while the body of Joren bore 18 wounds believed to be from a knife in different parts of his body and two more pounds believed to have been inflicted by a bullet and a club were found in iris head.

Dapuyen said that the two have been visiting with Jefferson Maguinsay, the catechist of the cathedral, who is a brother of Nick and cousin of Joren, at the time of their disappearance.

The priest said they discovered the disappearance of the two when the lights in the church compound were still on when it was already day as it was the responsibility of the two to turn on and switch off the compound lights.

Dapuyen said that the bodies were brought to their respective native places in Abra after mass last Sunday. **ZZW

Murder in Tabuk might rouse tribal grudges

Tabuk City, Kalinga - Local police investigators are looking into the possibility the tricycle driver found dead on the driver's seat of his tricycle at Purok 7, Bulanao, this city, 8:10 AM of November 8, was killed because he was mistaken to be a member of the Naneng tribe. Tabuk City OlC-Chief of Police Romulo Danglose said that according to their initial findings, victim Salvador Carpio, 42, married, presently residing at of Purok 6, Bulanao, used to live in Balani, Lucog, this city, and spoke the Naneng dialect fluently although he was an immigrant.

Incidentally, according to a source, Carpio had transferred his family to Bulanao after their house in Balani was destroyed by a landslide in August 6,2006. The victim who himself was injured in the landslide, lost two of his children in the tragedy.

Danglose said that based on descriptions given by witnesses, they have identified Primo Binay-og as suspect in the shooting to death of Carpio and police investigators are now trying to establish the motive of revenge for the shooting to death of relatives Noel and Jose Binay-og by alleged Naneng gunmen on June 29, 2005 at Maledda, Ipil, this city. Danglose said that the Binay-ogs and the Nanengs were feuding over a parcel of land.

The Sadanga tribe to which the Binay-ogs belong, however, deny a hand in the killing of Carpio even as they expressed willingness to perform the sapata to clear themselves. The sapata is an indigenous ritual whereby a person who is being suspected of a crime solemnly avers his innocence under pain of harm befalling himself and even his family if he is lying.

Several persons who were not members of either warring tribe have been killed on mistaken identity during tribal wars here in recent years.

The shooting of Carpio was the first of three violent incidents occurring in the city since last week.

Around 8:55 PM of November 11 Estabillo Galamto, 17, resident of Purok 5, Bulanao, Bemie Balicao, single, laborer, also of Purok 5, Bulanao and Adrian Dayawon, 23, single, student of the nearby Kalinga-Apayao State College and resident of Paligatto, Balawag, this city, were walking along the Provincial Road on their way to Hilltop, Purok 6, Bulanao when shot one after the other for still no apparent reason.

Galamto was killed, 17, Dayawon was injured and Balicao who was also shot once escape unscathed.

Initial police investigation show that three were accosted by two men in front of the National Irrigation Administration compound. One of the two men then shot them at close range. His companion was unarmed. Scene of the Crime Operative from the KPPO recovered three empty shell for a caliber 45 pistol in the crime scene. Danglose said the investigation has been stalled because Balicao could not give any useful information while Dayawon is still recuperating in the hospital.

Dawn of November 14, Reynaldo Dugayon, 32, married, a farmer who also buys and sells gold, and a resident of Bullalayao, Pantikian, Balbalan, this province, was shot dead in his room at the Las Vegas Lodge in Dagupan Weste by still unidentified gunman for still unknown reason. The victim was shot twice as evidence by two empty shells recovered in the room by police investigators.

Investigator Paul Payan told the media that Dugayon had checked in at a different hotel but transferred to the Las Vegas Lodge sometime in the evening where he, together with gay waiter George Garcia, 20, and waitress Mary Ann Crisologo, 17, drunk in the Los Angeles Videoke House on the third floor of the hotel from 8 to 10:45 PM.

Quoting a Jerry Alvendo, 26, the cashier of the hotel, Payan said that from the videoke bar, the three transferred to the room of the victim in the second floor where they ate and then continued drinking until 3 AM when Garcia and Crisologo left Dugayon.

It was around the time when Garcia and Crisologo left the victim's room that shots rang out in the hotel. Danglose said that robbery has been ruled out as a motive for the crime because a cash of 29,750.00 was found in a pant pocket of the victim. Danglose said they are now looking into information the murder is connected with a hold-up which took place in Gaang, Balbalan on October 28 wherein the victim was the suspect.

Danglose said the information appears to tally with the statement of witnesses in the first two videoke bars where Dugayon had a drink that evening and also at the Las Vegas Lodge where a man wearing a black leather jacket was following him. **By Estanislao Albano Jr., ZZW, Nov. 18, 2007

Kalinga now has crime lab

Tabuk City, Kalinga – In what is seen by many as a shot in the arm of crime fighting in the province, a crime laboratory has just been established here. It was inaugurated September 26,2007.

Inspector Joel Bentican, chief of the laboratory, said that pending the appointment of more personnel and provision of more equipment, they will be initially performing paraffin tests and authentication of the identity of motor vehicles in addition to conducting scene of the crime operation (SOCO).

Bentican said that examinations which their office cannot perform will be forwarded to the regional crime laboratory and to the national crime laboratory in cases of DNA testing.

Bentican believes that with the presence of a SOCO in the province, the criminal elements win lie low because they will have to contend with the scientific means of investigating and prosecuting crimes.

Kalinga Philippine Nation Police investigation chief PSI Joe Baday also said that the coming of the crime laboratory will be a great.

To prove his point, Baday informed that a SOCO could only be done on the murder of Vice Governor Rommel Diasen last April three days after and two days after the bloody demolition in Malapiat, Rizal last June because the SOCO team came all the way from Camp Dangwa in Benguet.

Baday said that while it is true that local police investigators are also trained in evidence gathering and handling, the SOCO are specialists and with them, “the proper way of gathering, preserving and transporting of evidence will be observed.”

“With the SOCO team already here, we can go together to the crime scene instead or waiting for them to come later,” Baday said.

Cordillera crime laboratory Chief Dalmacio Magastino, who was present during the inauguration on September 26, informed the media that there are five slots for the crime laboratory available this year to beef up the seven initial manpower of the office.

He also sees the addition of a forensic chemist to the team in the near future. With the addition of three such items for the Cordillera “one of whom will most likely be assigned to Kalinga.”

He informed that the establishment of the Kalinga laboratory is part of the program of the national leadership of the PNP Crime Laboratory to set up crime laboratories in all the provinces adding that the Kalinga crime laboratory is the second opened this year. **Estanislao Albano, Jr.

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