PNP-CIDG agents arrest 20 felons
TWENTY felons, six of them facing non-bailable criminal charges, were arrested by agents of the Philippine National-Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) in a string of anti-criminality operations in the countryside this week, a report to PNP chief, General Guillermo Lorenzo T. Eleazar said on Thursday.
Three of the suspects who have been tagged as among the most wanted persons in Eastern Visayas were arrested last Tuesday.
They were identified as Ricky Betonio alias ‘Ricky Coquilla’ and Galvin ‘Galvon’ Nantes,’ tagged as the 2nd and 3rd most wanted persons in Saint Bernard, Southern Leyte where they are wanted for 10 counts of rape.
The 3rd identified as Randy Baronda, the 4th most wanted man in Naval Biliran, was arrested on the basis of a warrant of arrest for murder. The suspect is wanted for killing a Norwegian national identified as Svein Hakonsen in Barangay Villa Caneja in Naval municipality last March 2021.
The 4th identified as Rey Obiado, wanted for a rape case was arrested in Bgy. Marcos in Gandara, Samar last Tuesday. Dennis Barcelona, the 9th most wanted person in Calabarzon was nabbed in Sariaya, Quezon on the basis of a warrant for rape by sexual assault in relation to Republic Act 7610 or the anti-child abuse law.
The 6th identified as Cleofe Tutor, tagged as the 10th most wanted person in Tagbilaran, Bohol was collared for child abuse while the 7th, Alimodin Pilmen, wanted for murder and two counts of frustrated murder was arrested in Cotabato City.
The 13 others were arrested for involvement in the unlawful sale of petroleum products in different areas in Cagayan, Pangasinan, Tarlac City Laguna, Cebu, Cagayan de Oro and Manila.
Recovered during those operations were some P300,000 worth of petroleum products.
The PNP-CIDG, in coordination with the Department of Energy, conducted the operations in line with their ongoing campaign against illegal refinery/manufacturing/importation and retail of Liquefied Petroleum Gas or Oplan: LIGAS.
Recovered during those operations were over 100 LPG cylinders, 63 plastic containers filled with diesel, 52 containers of unleaded petroleum gas, 37 containers of premium petroleum gas, improvised funnels, decanting hoses and weighing scales.
Ferro said the 11 were arrested due to their failure to comply with standards and regulations set by the DOE and for illegal retail of petroleum products without proper authorization.
The 11 suspects are facing charges for violation of Presidential Decree1865 (Short-Selling and Adulteration of Petroleum and Petroleum Products), Republic Act 8293 (Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines) and RA 623 as amended by RA 5700 (Act to Regulate the use of Duly-Stamped or Marked Bottles).
