Newsmakers of 2011 (last part)

Saturday, December 31, 2011

PERHAPS 2011 is the best year for the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA)-Northern Mindanao after it was able to seize almost two kilos of shabu (methamphitamine hydrochloride) worth P20 million last November 21.

The illegal drug was placed inside a package and taped at the picture tube of a television that was sent through a courier company from Manila.

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PDEA arrested the recipient of the package identified as Sammy Mohamad Yusop and was also able to trace the sender.

Yusop is now detained at the Lumbia City Jail and is facing charges for violation of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

With the seizure, PDEA received an award from the Philippine Narcotic Enforcement Officers Association.

The seizure was just one of the many accomplishments done by PDEA in Northern Mindanao.

But what stunned the people of Cagayan de Oro was the discovery of chopped human body parts in different areas in the city in March.

Police were able to arrest the suspect, 24-year-old Norvin Valmoria, who confessed butchering Estella Fernandez into pieces but said he did it out of “self-defense” after the victim allegedly tried to burn his house.

Valmoria has been charged with murder but police have yet to find the head of the victim.

He is also facing charges for possession of prohibitive drugs after police recovered shabu when he was arrested inside his house.

Valmoria admitted that he killed Fernandez and threw her chopped body parts in two separate areas but he belittled police authorities for their failure to locate the victim’s head.

Giving shock to the residents this year was the discovery of an 86-meter tunnel under construction near the Lumbia City Jail on November 15.

City Jail Warden Superintendent Clint Russel Tangeres said the two-meter-wide tunnel is nearly complete when discovered, which is believed to be used as an escape route for inmates at the Lumbia jail.

Tangeres said the starting point of the tunnel was concealed by a makeshift hut some 170 meters away from the jail located inside a lot owned by a certain Don Ramon Aberasturi while its endpoint would lead to the jail.

Tangeres said had the tunnel not discovered, at least 100 prisoners, some of whom are considered “high-profile,” would have escaped from prison.
Among the “high-profile” inmates at the jail are the two Swedish nationals -- Bo Stefan Sederholm and Emil Andreas Solemo -- who were sentenced to life imprisonment for operating a cybersex den and employing minors who would pose naked before foreign clients. The two were found guilty beyond reasonable doubt of the crime of trafficking in persons.

Authorities were able to trace the person who rented the lot where the tunnel was found but further investigation on the case is still ongoing.

Another big news worth remembering this year was the slay-attempt of broadcaster Michael James Licuanan, chief of reporters/anchor of Bombo Radyo Cagayan de Oro who is popularly known as “Bombo James Dacoycoy.

Licuanan was shot on November 24 by two men riding in tandem in a motorcycle. He sustained gunshot wound in his left buttock from a caliber .45 pistol.

Senior Superintendent Gerardo Rosales, director of the Cagayan de Oro City Police Office, said the shooting is work-related and is possibly in connection with the drugs issue the broadcaster discussed in his program “Zona Libre.”

Police have already filed cases against the two suspects who were identified by witnesses through a police gallery.

However, the suspects still remain at large as of press time.

In November, at least 80 members of the New People’s Army (NPA) operating in San Fernando, Bukidnon voluntarily surrendered to the government inside the 8th Infantry Battalion’s (IB) camp of the Philippine Army at South Poblacion in Maramag, Bukidnon.

The 80 rebel returnees were under the command of Benjamin “Ka Nonong” Salusad, former commanding officer of Sangay sa Platon Pampropaganda 3, Guerilla Front 6, North Central Mindanao Regional Committee. They belong to the Tigwahanon, Matigsalog and Manobo tribes of San Fernando.

The rebels said they joined the NPA allegedly due to deception and exploitations of issues related to ancestral domain. However, they decided to surrender due to disrespect and discriminations of the NPA to the lumads.

The military said the surrender is so far the biggest in the country in terms of number.

In September, businessman Manny Boniao was abducted inside his establishment in Barangay Gusa by five armed men. He was released six days later but there were no reports if his family paid ransom.

Police were not able to identify the suspects after Boniao refused to cooperate. He had since left the city and went abroad.

In August, businessman Lynard Allan Bigcas was arrested by agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) for illegal possession of firearm and ammunition.

Sometime in May, the NBI and the Provincial Police Office with the help of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) raided Bigcas’s house in Talakag, Bukidnon and recovered a shot gun and assorted ammunition.

The raiding team also seized imported luxury cars and motorcycles at a warehouse owned by Bigcas's relatives in Talakag, Bukidnon.

Authorities also raided another warehouse of Bigcas in Barangay Kauswagan in Cagayan de Oro and seized some motorcycles, imported car and a personalized big bike own by Skip Wood, a scriptwriter in Hollywood, which was allegedly stolen in Houston, Texas.

Bigcas was later subjected to a House inquiry in connection with the seized smuggled vehicles and motorcycles and the controversial "personal diary" where names of influential politicians and officials of the Bureau of Customs were listed.

He is also facing a smuggling case before the City Prosecutor's Office of Cagayan de Oro.

In July, at least four personnel of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) in Northern Mindanao were abducted by about 200 heavily armed rebels of the NPA in Kitaotao, Bukidnon.

The four BJMP personnel -- Jail Inspectors Murphy Todyog and Eric Llamasares, SJO2 Rogelio Begontes and JO1 Rolando D. Bajuyo Jr. – were on their way to Davao City to turn over inmates to the Davao Penal Colony when they were flagged down by the NPA rebels who rescued a comrade identified as Dennis Rodenas.

The NPAs seized the four BJMP personnel reportedly as "human shield." They also seized 11 firearms, six cell phones and an undetermined amount of cash from the BJMP personnel.

The BJMP personnel were later released unharmed.

In relation to illegal drugs, at least two Kagay-anons were arrested in other countries for possession of illegal drugs.

One of those arrested is identified as Annalyn del Puerto-Abalde of Barangay Pagatpat. She is now detained in Brazil while the other Kagay-anon, a male, was arrested and detained in Indonesia.

Abalde was arrested at the airport in Brazil last April 3, 2011 after authorities allegedly found cocaine in her baggage.

During the investigation, Abalde said the baggage belonged to her recruiter, a certain Alma, a resident of RER Subdivision, Cagayan de Oro City.

Police have yet to arrest Alma as of press time.

Early this year, Nestlé Philippines recalled its Maggi instant noodles in grocery stores in Cagayan de Oro City reportedly due to possible Salmonella contamination.

Recalled were Maggi beef and chicken noodles with batch number/lot codes 11020598A2 and 11030598A111 found at the back of the package in between the "best before" date. The ingredient of these products was found positive of salmonella.

Salmonella is a known bacterial infection that is passed to humans from animals. If contaminated, it would result to fever, stomach aches and vomiting.

However, the Department of Health (DOH) said it has not received any reports of patients affected with Salmonella contamination from eating Maggi noodles when the time the product was pulled out from the market shelves.

There have been a number of big and relevant news – positive and negative -- that happened in 2011. But we still have to see if some of those “negative” ones may be given solutions in 2012. Hopefully.