PNP offers bounty for missing Aklan mayor

Where is Lezo, Aklan Mayor Alfredo Arcenio?

The Lezo mayor was accused of being involved in the gunslaying of radio commentator and Bombo Radyo Aklan manager Herson Hinolan on Nov. 13, 2004 in Kalibo.

Hinolan’s assassination shocked not only Aklanons but also Negrenses, as he was a former resident of Talisay City in Negros Occidental. He was killed by a lone gunman.

Arcenio, a former member of the Military Intelligence Group, was accused of having a hand in Hinolan’s slay before the Kalibo Regional Trial Court. A warrant of arrest was issued against him last Sept. 7.

But Arcenio was nowhere to be found, not even at his residence in Lezo.

Because police are having a difficult time tracing his whereabouts, PNP Western Visayas chief Geary Barias has recommended a P150,000 reward for his arrest.

Barias also asked the Aklan provincial government to augment the reward to encourage informants to come forward.

The failure of the police to bag Arcenio has affected Western Visayas mediamen, who had taken up the cudgels for Hinolan who was a popular figure in Western Visayas

Salabas case

The Arcenio case also throws light into the inability of the PNP to serve arrest warrants to six Bacolod policemen and 13 civilian co-accused in the kidnap-murder of former barangay captain Eleuterio Salabas in August 2003.

For weeks now since the warrants have been issued by the Guihulngan (Negros Oriental) Regional Trial Court, not a single one has been served despite repeated assurances by police officers that the six policemen would be arrested soon or would turn themselves in.

Several of them earlier had filed leaves of absence but these were supposed to have expired the other day. Thus, they can be declared absent without official leave (AWOL).

Barias promised that he will personally serve the warrant on Inspector Clarence Dongail, the region’s liaison officer with Camp Crame, when the latter returns to Iloilo City.

Defense counsel Ernesto Treyes said the six has not indicated a lack of desire to yield to the court. But he has reportedly asked Malacañang to revive the justice department’s order to the Negros Oriental provincial prosecutor to file the charges against the defendants before the RTC.

The Palace had reportedly asked both the Salabas family and the six policemen to file their respective memoranda on Treyes’ appeal for review of the DOJ decision.

Bacolod City police chief Ronilo Quebrar said he will lead the search for the six wanted policemen.

Presiding Judge Mario Trinidad issued the arrest warrants against the six policemen and their 13 civilian co-accused last Oct. 18.

Aside from Dongail, the other accused police officers are Chief Inspector Jimmy Fortaleza, Senior Inspector Jonathan Lorilla, SPO2 Freddie Natividad, and PO1 Bernardo Cimatu, all of the Bacolod police, and PO2 Allen Winston Hulleza of the regional police office.

Their civilian co-accused include businessman Manolo Escalante, Carlos de los Santos, Elma Mamerto, Elso and Elma Canete, Ramonito Estanislao, Lorraine Abay, Judge Montilla, Ronnie Herrera, and Julie Flores.

The policemen and the 13 civilians were accused of kidnapping and killing former Pahanocoy barangay captain Eleuterio Salabas, maritime instructor Ricardo Suganob, and Maximo Lomoljo on Aug. 31, 2003.

That, to a certain extent, has become a litmus test on how the police handle the arrest of their colleagues. So far, not even the civilians have been served the warrants either.

The integrity of the police force hangs in the balance.

ISO’s London conference

This year’s International Sugar Organization conference in London has drawn to its fold a member of the House of Representatives and Negros Occidental Gov. Joseph Marañon.

Apparently, one of the top draws is the discussion on ethanol, as explained by Rep. Ignacio Arroyo.

Marañon, on the other hand, disclosed that he is also interested in the prospects of ethanol production as well as its impact on world sugar prices.

Recently, China’s CAMC Engineering Co. Ltd. (CAMCE) and B.M. Biofuels Company of the Philippines signed a memorandum of understanding to put up two ethanol plants in Kabankalan City in Negros Occidental and another one in Murcia town, 15 kilometers east of Bacolod City.

CAMCE will reportedly invest a total of $20 million for each plant and will hire local residents.

Bronback, a British firm, is putting up an ethanol plant in San Carlos City in northern Negros Occidental.

Last Tuesday, I dropped by the Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MBCCI) office at the provincial lagoon and saw there a CAMCE representative discussing with chairman Roberto Montelibano and other officials the technical details of the proposed ethanol plant.

Montelibano also said that he escorted two potential Korean investors the other day to the First Farmers mill in Talisay City where they studied sugar manufacturing.

The Korean businessmen, Montelibano said, were also interested in buying ethanol. And he convinced them to instead put up a plant here so they can be assured of a steady supply of bioethanol.

Montelibano and other sugar leaders reported an avalanche of potential ethanol investors in the sugarcane-rich province.

Bukidnon Rep. Miguel Zubiri, author of the National Bioethanol bill in the House, stressed the need to convince the Senate to remove a provision in its counterpart measure that would prohibit the establishment of an ethanol distillery near a sugar mill.

That reportedly aims to ensure that Negros Occidental, the biggest source of the country’s sugar production, does not run out of sugar if there is a surge in the demand for ethanol.

Zubiri pointed out that the provision violates the free enterprise policy of the government and constitutes prior restraint that could work against prospective ethanol investments in Negros Occidental and Bukidnon.

Despite the frenzy over ethanol, the hum of a new industry will have to wait for the bicameral conference committee to iron out their differences and have the bill signed into law.

Of course, that will take about two years to become a reality. Sugarcane is a one-year crop. Thus, it will have to be grown first before the distillery could take off and produce ethanol as well as engage in co-generation. This will be an added income for the distillery and will help the country save on dollars from fossil fuel imports.