Murder suspect, snatcher nabbed at ‘traslacion’

MANILA, Philippines – Yesterday’s annual procession of the image of the Black Nazarene in Manila never fails to attract throngs of repentant sinners as well as would-be criminals.

Fugitive John Cedrick Bernabe, 22, never expected that he would be arrested by members of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) as he joined other devotees in pulling the ropes of the image’s andas (carriage) at the start of the traslacion at the Quirino Grandstand yesterday morning.

NCRPO chief Director Joel Pagdilao said police officers spotted Bernabe as they were monitoring the vicinity of the grandstand at around 6:45 a.m.  

Bernabe is the subject of an arrest warrant for murder issued by Malabon City Regional Trial Court Branch 170 Judge Zaldy Docena. He is being held at the NCRPO headquarters.

At past 10 a.m., NCRPO police officers arrested Mark Gallos, 23, an alleged member of the Bahala Na Gang, in front of the National Museum on P. Burgos street after he allegedly snatched the mobile phone of shoe designer Mark Cabulas, 44, a resident of Doña Betang Subdivision in Pasig City.

Cabulas was about the climb up the andas when Gallos grabbed his Lenovo phone. The Manila Police District’s Station 6 said its police officer arrested Gallos and returned the mobile phone to its owner.