Tarlac cops hailed for solving bishop’s slay

ANGELES CITY — Lt. Gen. Bonifacio Ramos, chief of the Armed Forces Northern Luzon Command (Nolcom), lauded the Tarlac police yesterday for finally establishing that the Oct. 3 killing of Aglipayan Bishop Alberto Ramento was not politically motivated.

In a joint military-police press conference at the Nolcom headquarters at Camp Aquino in Tarlac, Ramos also hailed the Tarlac police, headed by Senior Superintendent Nicanor Bartolome, for arresting two men who had broken into the First Provincial Bank in Tarlac City last Oct. 23.

"This shows how swiftly they respond to crime situations, especially if there is strong evidence like in the case of Aglipayan Bishop Ramento who was killed inside the San Sebastian Cathedral’s convent last Oct. 3," he said.

Ramos noted that the immediate solution of Ramento’s killing drew criticisms from militant groups, which rejected police findings that it was a simple case of robbery with homicide and insisted that it was another "extrajudicial killing."

Ramos said the suspects in Ramento’s killing broke twice into the office-residence of the bishop last Sept. 11 and 23, carting away cash, a cellular phone, DVD player and other items.

These incidents, however, were not reported to the police, thus apparently emboldening the suspects to strike a third time, he said.

Ramos also lauded the Tarlac police for arresting two suspects in the break-in of the First Provincial Bank owned by one Blesilio Buan in Barangay San Roque, Tarlac City shortly before midnight last Oct. 23.

Nolcom identified the suspects as Rolando Tomas, 20, and Allan David, 19, both household workers of Buan.

Nolcom said the two suspects entered the bank through a glass-paneled window at the right side of the bank adjoining Buan’s residence.

Police said the two ransacked the vault and carted away a box containing P464,556.50 in different denominations and $45.

With their loot in a backpack, the two then climbed over the perimeter wall and fled toward MacArthur Highway where they flagged down a tricycle driven by one Wilfredo Garcia, who later reported his suspicious passengers to the police.

With Garcia’s information, police were able to corner the two suspects a few hours later and recovered their loot intact.

Ramos said the Tarlac police has been "very actively supporting" Nolcom in its internal security operations. — Ding Cervantes