Facebook leads to man's arrest

CEBU, Philippines - A famous social networking site became instrumental in the location of Cebu City’s seventh most wanted person who was arrested in Bohol last Monday.

Jerome Japson, 23, of Sitio Kahipa, Barangay Hipodromo, Cebu City, was arrested by elements of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-7 in Clarin town, Bohol, around 5:30 p.m.

Chief Insp. Fermin Armandarez, team leader of the operation, said they traced Japson through his Facebook account where he posted his location.

Armandarez said a former female workmate allowed them to check the suspect’s account through hers where they retrieved the necessary information and pictures that led to the suspect’s arrest. 

CIDG-7 conducted several days of surveillance before the operation was finally hatched. 

Japson was arrested by virtue of a warrant issued by Regional Trial Court Branch 22 Judge Manuel Patalinghug last October 2, 2007 for allegedly raping his 10-year-old female neighbor.

Japson claimed he was sleeping inside their house when the victim, who is now 15 years old, suddenly crawled beside him.

Immediately after the incident, the suspect fled to Ormoc City, Leyte, where he stayed for two years. He then transferred to Siquijor and later to Liloan town in Cebu.    

But for fear that he might be caught by the police, Japson transferred to Bohol where he has been living for two years now.  

Armandarez said the suspect was working inside a local hardware when he was surrounded and arrested by CIDG-7 personnel with the help of the local police force and intelligence operatives.

CIDG-7 Director Jose Pante Jr. said Japson has a bounty of P25,000.

Meanwhile, a man who was involved in a series of robberies in southern Cebu was arrested last Monday evening by the Dalaguete police in Barangay Lankas, Dalaguete town.

Jaime “Jammy” Linares Geolin, 23, a motorcycle-for-hire driver and resident of the said place, was arrested in a buy-bust operation. He allegedly confessed that aside from his involvement in the illegal drug trade he was also into robbery.

Confiscated from him were four small packets of shabu, P200 marked money as well as P500 in different denominations believed to be drug money.

Dalaguete police chief Insp. Dexter Basirgo said Geolin was placed under surveillance for several weeks before the operation.

Prior to the arrest, Geolin was cleaning his motorcycle at a waiting shed near his residence when the poseur-buyer approached him to buy a packet of shabu.

Right after Geolin handed him the drugs he was immediately arrested.

Basirgo said that during interrogation Geolin confessed his involvement in robberies in the towns of Alcoy, Badian, and Sibonga.

Geolin also gave the names of five of his accomplices.

Basirgo said the robbery group slowed down when police in nearby towns conducted successive checkpoints. This prompted the group to divert to the illegal drug trade.

The police chief said before Geolin was involved in robbery he was already into illegal drugs.

Geolin once had a carnapping case but this was dismissed after the complainant withdrew the case.

Charges for possession of illegal drugs are set to be filed today at the Cebu Provincial Prosecutor’s Office against Geolin. –(FREEMAN)