NegOcc LGUs, police turn over 230 loose firearms to PRO-6

BACOLOD CITY — The Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office led the turnover of 230 unlicensed firearms to the Police Regional Office-6 (Western Visayas) in a ceremony held at the Camp Alfredo Montelibano Sr. here on Monday.

The guns included 205 with expired licenses handed over by Vice Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson and the mayors of 16 local government units (LGUs), and 25 others from former New People’s Army (NPA) rebels turned over by Col. Romeo Baleros, police provincial director.

Police Brig. Gen. John Bulalacao, regional director of PRO-6, received the firearms and lauded the move of local officials to surrender the unregistered firearms.

Negros Occidental Vice Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson (2^nd from left) leads local government officials in the turn-over of 205 firearms with expired licenses from various towns and cities to Police Brig. Gen. John Bulalacao, director of Police Regional Office-Western Visayas, in a ceremony held at the Camp Alfredo Montelibano Sr. in Bacolod City on Monday (March 4, 2019).
*Photo courtesy of Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office*

“Your action is indeed a manifestation of your sincerity to help us achieve a peaceful mid-term election this coming May,” he said.

Bulalacao added that since the PRO-6 launched the “Tokhang Kontra Guinadili-an nga Pusil” campaign last July, they have rounded up 9,104 firearms with expired licenses and confiscated 563 others in various police operations.

In Negros Occidental, the 205 unlicensed firearms were from the cities of Bago, Cadiz, Escalante, Himamaylan, La Carlota, Sagay, San Carlos, Talisay, and the municipalities of Calatrava, E.B. Magalona, Isabela, Manapla, Moises Padilla, Murcia, Pontevedra, and Toboso.

Bulalacao said these firearms were previously purchased by the LGUs for their civil security units.

“These are formerly licensed firearms, but have been classified as unlicensed because they failed to re-register. It will be returned to them once they can show to us the renewed licenses,” he added.

The 25 high-powered firearms were turned over by the NPA surrenderers to the military and police authorities in Sagay City last March 2.

Monday’s turn-over ceremony was also witnessed by Provincial Elections Supervisor Salud Villanueva and Col. Benedict Arevalo, commander of the Philippine’s Army 303rd Infantry Brigade. (PNA)

Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1063626

Probers eye several angles in Bacolod cop’s slay

BACOLOD CITY — The Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) is looking into various angles in the murder of Senior Police Officer 4 Oscar Exaltado, deputy chief of Police Station 6, over the weekend.

Exaltado, 46, was gunned down by two unidentified motorcycle-riding men near his home in Barangay Singcang-Airport on his way to work around 7:30 a.m. on January 26.

Chief Insp. Ariel Pico, city police public information officer, said on Monday the Police Station 8 under by Chief Insp. Charles Gever is tasked to investigate the case.

Scene of the Crime Operation personnel look into the site in Barangay Singcang-Airport, Bacolod City, where Senior Police Officer 4 Oscar Exaltado was gunned down on Saturday, Jan. 26, 2019.
*Photo courtesy of Bombo Radyo Bacolod*

Pico said in a radio interview the investigators are focusing on two angles.

The first angle has something to do with work, which could be linked to Exaltado’s duty as warrant server of Police Station 6.

He served warrants of arrest to wanted persons and it’s possible there are some of them holding a grudge against him, Pico said.

He added that the second angle is related to the alleged involvement of Exaltado in illegal drugs, which is still subject to further investigation.

Exaltado, clad in police uniform and driving a motorcycle, was ambushed in front of J.R. Torres Elementary School. He sustained multiple shots to the body and head.

“We condemn the killing of SPO4 Oscar Exaltado, deputy chief of Police Station 6, Bacolod City…I have already ordered the conduct of a thorough investigation on this incident to ensure the immediate arrest of the suspects,” said Chief Supt. John Bulalacao, director of Police Regional Office (PRO)-6 (Western Visayas), in a statement.

The PRO-6 chief also assured the slain policeman’s family of all possible assistance and benefits due him and his kin. (PNA)

Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1060231

New OIC police chief for Bacolod named

BACOLOD CITY — The regional police chief of Western Visayas has confirmed that the head of the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) has vacated his post after being fired by President Rodrigo Duterte, and a new official has been named to replace him.

Chief Supt. John Bulalacao, director of Police Regional Office-6, in a text message to the Philippine News Agency, said he has designated Senior Supt. Henry Biñas as officer-in-charge of the Bacolod police effective Sunday, January 13.

Biñas, who is in Iloilo City, said in a telephone interview that he was preparing to assume the top post of BCPO.

Before his latest assignment, Biñas was chief of the Regional Personnel and Human Resource Development Division of PRO-6 based in Camp Martin Delgado in Iloilo City, and was previously director of Iloilo City Police Office and Negros Oriental Police Provincial Office.

Duterte ordered the relief of Ebreo on Saturday, Jan. 12, after receiving reports of his alleged involvement in illegal drugs.

The Chief Executive named Ebreo and four other police officers here as drug protectors while speaking before an audience in a private function at L’Fisher Hotel in this city.

The four others are Supt. Allan Macapagal, deputy city director for operation; Supt. Ritchie Yatar, chief of City Mobile Force Company; Supt. Nassrudin Tayuan, former team leader of City Drug Enforcement Unit; and Senior Insp. Victor Paulino, former chief of Police Station 3, who was re-assigned to the City Mobile Force Company last month.

The five relieved police officials were told to report to the Regional Personnel Holding and Accounting Unit at the PRO-6 headquarters in Iloilo City.

The relief of Ebreo came 14 months after he assumed post as OIC city police director in November 2017.

In May last year, Ebreo and Paulino were awarded the Philippine National Police Medal of Merit for demonstrating exemplary competence and commendable performance during the operation against notorious drug leader Ramy Poja, the number one most wanted person of Police Station 3, who was killed after a hot pursuit operation in Sitio Sibucao, Barangay Banago.

In 2018, the BCPO seized more than PHP42.157 million worth of shabu in 432 operations. (PNA)

Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1058764