Victim’s family demands arrest of 16 cops wanted for murder

The family of slain former Pahanocoy barangay captain Eleuterio Salasas is demanding the arrest of 16 people accused of kidnapping and killing the former barangay official in August 2003.

Lawyer Renecito Espiritu wrote three key PNP officers, including Regional Director Geary Barias, asking that warrants of arrest be served immediately against the six lawmen and their co-accused.

The case, which was dropped earlier, was revived recently on orders of Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez, who directed the Oriental Negros prosecutor’s office to file the case against the suspects, headed by Inspector Clarence Dongail.

Guihulngan Regional Trial Court Judge Mario Trinidad issued the arrest warrants against the six policemen and their co-accused civilians.

The other police officers are Chief Inspector Jimmy Fortaleza, PO1 Bernardo Cimatu, PO2 Allen Winston Hulleza, and Senior Inspector Jonathan Lorilla.

The civilians were Manolo Escalante, Ronnie Herrera, July Flores, Carlo de los Santos, Lorraine Albay, Amme and Elson, both surnamed Cañete, Jude Montilla, and Ramonito Estanislao.

Espiritu wrote similar letters to Superintendent Rosendo Franco, the provincial police chief, and Senior Superintendent Pedro Merced, Bacolod police chief.

The six policemen were members of the Bacolod police force under Dongail at one time, and even the PDEA.

Elizabeth Salabas, widow of Eleuterio, said the public is losing confidence in the capability of the police to implement a judicial warrant against their colleagues.

Dongail was reportedly re-assigned as liaison officer of the regional police command at Camp Crame while the other cops had reportedly filed an official leave of absence.

Barias, however, earlier stressed that he would personally arrest Dongail when he receives a copy of the warrant for his arrest from the Guihulgan RTC.

The celebrated case has gripped Bacolod folk since 2003 when the remains of two companions of Salabas were found in Bago and Pulupandan. Later, the decomposing remains of Salabas were recovered in Ajuy, Iloilo, where he was reportedly transported from Cadiz City after he was abducted in Bacolod, then back to Guihulngan in Oriental Negros.

After a prolonged preliminary investigation, the complaint against the accused was dropped by the Oriental Negros public prosecutors for alleged lack of substantive evidence that could have warranted the filing of charges in court.

Lawyer Ernesto Treyes, Dongail’s counsel, asked for reconsideration and for the case to be remanded in court.

Unconfirmed reports indicate that the six policemen are ready to yield anytime soon. Once captured, they will not be allowed to post bail as the charges against them constitute a capital offense.

Superintendent Merced, however, may reportedly request for custody of the accused policemen, citing the danger of having them inside jail with several criminals.

Salabas’ nephew Maximo Lomoljo and maritime instructor Ricardo Suganob were abducted on Aug. 31, 2003. Lomljo’s body was found in Pulupandan while Suganob’s body was found two days later floating in Bago River. Salabas’ decomposing body, on the other hand, was found in a shallow grave in Ajuy, Iloilo on Sept. 19, 2003.

Former Bacolod police chief George Bajelo filed a petition in court requesting custody of the accused policemen. Merced indicated that he may do the same, considering the danger of putting policemen behind bars with criminals whom they may have arrested.

At any rate, that’s the status of the case. Soon, there may be light at the end of the tunnel in the celebrated kidnap-murder case.

Early political speculations

Immediately after Rep. Ignacio Arroyo helped secure the memorandum of agreement between a Chinese firm and the Southern Negros Biofuel Inc., headed by Aurelio Lacson, rumors started circulating in Negros that the politician is out to run for governor and contest Marañon’s re-election bid.

For his part, Negros Occidental Gov. Joseph Marañon just announced to local mediamen that he is physically fit to seek re-election and is ready to face anyone in next year’s balloting.

Arroyo, himself, went out of his way to douse the speculations.

"I am happy to serve where I belong," Arroyo stressed.

He said his invitation to businessmen to invest in ethanol projects in Negros Occidental may have given rise to speculations that he will run against Marañon.

The two prospective bioethanol plants will rise in Kabankalan City’s upland area and Dacongcong. The latter is just about 10 minutes’ ride from Bacolod City.

Arroyo said that running for governor is far from his plan and just "an invention" of some people who have nothing to do with their lives. He stressed that assisting in securing the MOA between the Chinese firm and Southern Negros is just doing his best for his constituents.

In Bacolod, however, a lot of rumors swirled around the controversy over the proposed new government center. There were questions about the project bidding as well.

And, of course, a lot of talk involved Rep. Monico Puentevella who will support him as well as his mayoralty choice for Bacolod.

Normally, I disdain listening to such talk. But the harsh debate over the proposed government center prodded me to look at the controversy, especially with Mayor Evelio Leonardia dubbing the criticisms as "economic sabotage."

The questions came from former vice mayors Ramiro Garcia and Monju Guanzon.

Garcia, an architect, questioned the failure of the city executive to have a complete development plan as basis for awarding the P400-million contract.

Leonardia withdrew his "economic sabotage" charge but insisted that such questions virtually amount to virtual treason as they could compromise the donation of the P14-million, five-hectare lot by the Gonzaga family.

Although there is a strong possibility that Assistant Secretary for Transportation Ricardo Tan, former mayor Joy Valdez, Vice Mayor Renecito Novero and former Bacolod City police superintendent Vicente Pontreras may run against Leonardia, there is nothing definite yet as to who will actually be the one.

Puentevella earlier told me that he has not yet picked his choice from among those mentioned. "I guess, I’ll just bide my time, although admittedly Bing is the stronger contender," he said.

Novera reportedly is being pushed by some quarters to run for congress. But that’s chancy, especially in the face of the statement of Simplicio Palanca that he is off politics this time. Palanca was noted as the bankroller of Novero.

"Sammy must have realized that he has been burned by his involvement in partisan politics," Puentevella said.

In short, the only one to come out strongly for the post is businessman Babes Alvarez. The question, however, is how Alvarez would fare against Puentevella and the latter’s charismatic appeal.

There are others waiting in the wings. One of them is Councilor Lydon Cana and Novero himself.

At the moment, all we have are speculations and rumors. Someone may emerge soon as the real protagonists in the forthcoming balloting, presuming that the elections will push through amid the attempts by the House, under Speaker Jose de Venecia, to push through with con-ass that will presumably do away with the elections next year.