Monday, May 21, 2007 Wanted cops in Salabas murder 'kill' civilian in Manapla town By Nicolas C. Delfin
TWO of the more than 10 wanted police officers in Bacolod involved in the controversial Salabas-Suganob-Lomoljo kidnap-murder case are about to face a new case.
This as Police Officers Dennis Belandres and Ruel Villacanas were positively identified as suspects who gunned down Ruliben Leganipan, 20, of Hacienda Bilbao, town Punta Mesa in Manapla, Saturday night.
The killing happened at a dance hall in the said hacienda about 9 p.m.
Manapla Police chief, Inspector Jose Laboyo, said both Belandres and Villacanas were identified by witnesses as the culprits who shot Leganipan dead.
Laboyo said that prior to the incident, the duo reportedly attempted to pacify the fight between Leganipan and his older brother inside the dance hall but a "misunderstanding" occured between them.
Leganipan allegedly assaulted both Villacanas and Belandres prompting the two policemen to shoot him, hitting him on the head, the chief of police added.
Leganipan was rushed to the Teresita Lopez Jalandoni Memorial Provincial Hospital (TLJMPH) in Silay City but was pronounced dead later.
Recovered in the crime scene include two empty shells and one live ammunition of a .9mm caliber pistol.
Both, however, also managed to escape and remain subject of police's ongoing hot pursuit operation.
Belandres and Villacanas were among the 15 cops formerly detailed at Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) who were implicated in the four-year-old Salabas-Suganob-Lomoljo kidnap-murder case.
Since October last year, they were already considered fugitive after they mysteriously disappeared following the issuance of the warrants of arrest against them by a judge from Guihulngan Regional Trial Court in Oriental Negros on Octobr 18, 2006.
From then on, Philippine National Police (PNP) ordered a nation-wide manhunt ordered against them.
But until now, none among them was arrested. Among the prominent cop-suspects are Chief Inspector Clarence Dongail and Senior Inspectors Jimmy Fortaleza and Jonathan Lorilla.
Even former BCPO director-turned-mayoralty candidate, retired policeman Vicente Ponteras was also implicated as one among the "brains" in the case.
Ponteras, however, denied involvement in the killing of former Pahanocoy village chief Eleuterio "Dodong" Salabas, Jr., his nephew Romolo Lomuljo and former Maritime Instructor Ricardo Suganob on Augut 31, 2003.
Dongail was formerly an anti-drug czar in Bacolod while Fortaleza and Lorilla were former commanders of Bacolod's Police Station 1 and 6, respectively.
Laboyo, meanwhile, said they would file a murder case against Belandres and Villacanas.
He also disclosed that based on the revelation of sources, Belandres, along with Villacanas has long been hiding with one of his uncle's house in Punta Mesa town.
"Probably, if we're informed ahead, we could have apprehended them. Besides, we can't just pick them up without an arrest warrant in our hands," Laboyo explained.
Meanwhile, Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) Director Ronilo Quebrar said they are still having a hard time in arresting all the cop-suspects, including the wanted civilians due to lack of intelligence information.
"We can arrest them all but we need help especially from vigilant civilians who can inform us of their whereabouts," he added.
