NegOr Police commemorates ambush-slay of Guihulngan cops

From the Philippine News Agency (Jul 23): NegOr Police commemorates ambush-slay of Guihulngan cops

The Negros Oriental Police commemorated the first year anniversary of the ambush-slay of six policemen in Guihulngan City over the weekend.

On Saturday, the police held a “Bike for Peace” in honor of those who were killed in Barangay Magsaysay, Guihulngan City on July 21, 2017.

Provincial police director, Senior Supt. Raul Tacaca, said the Bike for Peace started at the public plaza of Sibulan town up to Tanjay City, where another group of bikers, mostly from the north, waited for them to continue biking all the way to Guihulngan City.

A mass was offered for the slain policemen namely, police chief Supt. Arnel Arpon, and five of his men -- SPO2 Mecasio Tabilon, SPO2 Chavic Agosto, SPO1 Jesael Ancheta, PO2 Alvin Paul Bulandres, and PO2 Alfredo Dunque.

Three other policemen were wounded in that incident -- SPO4 Jerome Delara, POC3 Jordan Balderas and PO2 Jorie Maribao.

The police chief and his men were responding to a call for help from Guihulngan City Councilor Edison dela Rita, who said he and his companions were ambushed in Barangay Magsaysay of that northern city, when waylaid.

Dela Rita's aide Michael Jambalos also died in the incident.

Guihulngan City Police chief, Supt. Alex Baquiran, disclosed over the weekend that two of the suspects in the ambush-slay had been identified.

A certain Jonathan Lacadman was arrested in Cebu, and is detained at the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology district jail in Guihulngan, while the other suspect, identified as Toto de Asis, was killed by unknown perpetrators in Barangay Malusay also in Guihulngan last February 21, said Baquiran.

The Guihulngan chief of police further said the death of de Asis is one of 60 shooting incidents being investigated for the period July 2017 to July 2018.

Of the number, 21 shooting incidents were considered solved and cleared upon identification of suspects and cases were filed against them based on the parameters of the police.

This developed as human rights groups and non-governmental organizations trooped to the office of the city mayor recently for a dialogue as part of their fact-finding investigation.

The police chief said they were updated on the investigation.

Baquiran said most of the shooting incidents in Guihulngan City do not have witnesses, with the perpetrators usually wearing masks and bonnets, while other witnesses are also afraid to come out in the open for fear of reprisal from the suspects.

He told the human rights groups to present and show proof that most of the shooting incidents were perpetrated by government security forces as he assured them that an impartial investigation will be conducted.

Baquiran said those who asked for an audience with Guihulngan Mayor Guido Reyes were members of the groups Karapatan and Bayan Muna, and some of them were foreigners.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1042340