Cop caught stealing railway beams

The police recently arrested their colleague and six other persons caught in the act of cutting the main beam of a railway bridge located at the boundary of Hacienda San Jose, Brgy. Damgo and Hacienda Baga-ay, Brgy. Tabigue, Negros Occidental.

Arrested were Police Officer 1 Nilo C. Parreño and his companions Herman Cañete y Sorolla ; Andy Alolor y Gonzales; Zandro Bacalocos y De Asis and Raffy Tapada y Fernandez, all of E. B. Magalona, Negros Occidental and Jade Botsvara y Deloso and Jerry Ecoy y Gisna of Silay City, Negros Occidental.

The suspects were caught in the act of cutting the main beam using the acetylene cutter last May 24, 2005 at about 9:35 p.m. The said railway beams are owned by Hawaiian Philippine Company (HPCo) based in Silay City, Negros Occidental.

Police Senior Inspector Santiago Y Rapiz led the operations after receiving a text message from concerned citizen that several persons were cutting one of the railway beams of the bridge at the said place.

Recovered from the crime scene were: one (1) Isuzu Truck with plate No. FHN-433 driven by Raffy Tapada; one (1) unit acetylene cutter with two (2) tanks and one (1) tank of LPG Gasul; and, one (1) crescent; one (1) pair pliers.

When Engineer Laguardia, the representative of HPCo, conducted ocular inspection in the area the following day, he found out that one of the main beams was cut into pieces and has an estimated value of more or less P 62,288.00.

Arrested suspects are presently detained at the lock up cell of E.B Magalona Police Station pending the filing of an appropriate case in court. (F. Lindero)