36-hour anti-crime drive nets 11

A total of 11 people, seven of them yielding caliber .38 revolvers and homemade shotguns, were arrested in an intensified anti-crime campaign by the National Capital Regional Police Office (NCRPO) in the past 36 hours in Metro Manila.

Metro police chief Director Ricardo de Leon said five of the suspect, all members of the dreaded robbery group "Bulabog Boys" were involved in a failed attempt to silence, Rizaldy Almene, 44, a barangay tanod of Bagong Silang in Caloocan City.

After failing to find Almene in his house at Phase 7 in Barangay Bagong Silang, the suspects-Ruben Advincula, 44; Renante Senal, 27; Ricardo Pinto; Willy Navarro, and Jonnel Gonzaga-grabbed his 13-year-old son and took him as their hostage.

The suspects tried to resist arrest but released the boy unharmed and surrendered peacefully to responding elements of the Caloocan City police headed by Senior Superintendent Benjardi Mantele. They yielded two caliber .38 revolvers, and three improvised shotguns and assorted ammunition.

The five suspects and six others — Roberto Daez, Ronnie Rivera, Michael Sabagan, Allan Alabo, Alfredo Daen and Rosemarie Suarez — were presented by de Leon during a media briefing yesterday at the NCRPO satellite office in Kamuning.

"Our walking the beat and checkpoint programs are now bearing fruit," said de Leon as he checked the recovered guns of the suspects.

Daez and Rivera were arrested at a checkpoint in Barangay Deparo also in Caloocan City for possession of a caliber .38 revolver and a homemade shotgun.

Both Daez and Rivera denied ownership of the seized evidence but Chief Superintendent Marcelino Franco Jr., director of the Northern Police District (NPD) dismissed their claim. "Wala namang suspek ang umaamin sa nagawa niyang krimen," said Franco.

The NPD chief said his office is now conducting a background check on Daez and Rivera to determine whether they are involved in robbery-holdup and other illegal activities.

Sabangan, Alabon, Daen and Suarez were arrested for robbing five students inside a passenger jeepney and a 14-year-old boy of their personal belongings last Jan. 12 in Cubao, Quezon City. Superintendent Bong Durana, Cubao Station commander said his men recovered from the suspects three fan knives and their loot composed of cell phones, bracelet and pieces of jewelry.

The elder Almene, who accompanied his son to the press briefing, said the five suspects wanted him dead because of his being active in an anti-crime drive in their neighborhood.

Franco said the "Bulabog Boys" were behind the rash of petty robberies in Barangay Bagong Silang and nearby neighborhoods for the past months.

He said the five suspects will be charged with serious illegal detention, illegal possession of firearms and violation of the Commission on Elections gun ban. The remaining suspects will be charged with gun ban violations and robbery- holdup.