City agriculturist’s son linked to robbery

A SON of the Bacolod City Agriculturist was allegedly involved in robbery hold-up of a taxi driver at Purok Tonggoy, Barangay Mandalagan, Bacolod City Friday morning.

The 17-year old suspect, whose name is being withheld, is a son of lawyer Goldwyn Nifras, head of the City Agriculture Office, and resident of Eroreco, Barangay Mandalagan.

The suspect’s two other companions managed to escape after the incident, police records showed.

Investigation showed at 1:20 a.m. of Friday, while taxi driver Carlito Gallano, 56, of Barangay 4, Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental, was driving his Toyota Avanza taxi, three unidentified persons flagged him down along B.S Aquino Drive.

Gallano told police one of the suspects sat at the passenger’s seat and the two others at the back seats and told him to bring them at Barangay Mandalagan.

Upon reaching the said barangay, the suspects declared hold-up and stabbed the driver at his right arm. The driver hit a tricycle and shouted for help that his passengers held him up, the investigation revealed.

Julius Gonzales, driver of the tricycle, and his passenger Stephen Dela Rosa, both residents of Barangay Mandalagan, immediately helped Gallano and chased one of the three suspects.

The suspect immediately introduced himself as the son of Nifras, reports said.

After a few minutes, Nifras arrived in the area and told the complainant that he will be the one to bring his son to Station 3 but, it was learned that only Nifras appeared in said station, police records showed.

The suspects also failed to take the money of Gallano, who was also rushed to the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital (CLMMRH) for medical treatment.

Nifras claimed that the two suspects who tried to hold-up the taxi driver were not the companions of his son, adding when his son called the taxi along Redemptorist Church, the two suspects suddenly boarded the vehicle.

He said his son was seated at the back seat and one of the suspect also sat beside him while the other was at the front passenger side. He added that his son was planning to go to the house of his classmates at Magdalene Ville Subdivision.

Nifras claimed the suspect who sat beside him tried to intimidate him using a bladed weapon.

The two suspects then declared the hold-up, he said.

But when Gallano bumped a tricycle, his son managed to open the door and headed to Georgina Subdivision to ask for help and fortunately he saw a barangay tanod in the area who helped him, he said.

Nifras also clarified his son was not arrested and he was turned over to him by the barangay tanod.

Nifras advised police to conduct further investigation and find the barangay tanod who helped his son so that he could give his statement to prove that his son was not a suspect.

He said if the driver of taxi will implicate his son as one of the suspects, he’s also willing to face the charges and they will answer all the accusations against his son.

Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) spokesperson Santiago Rapiz said if the victim is willing to file charges against the suspects, they will file the case against them.

He said Station 3 commander Conrado Rances III was also directed to further investigate the incident. (Merlinda A. Pedrosa)