BARANGAY 38 officials led by Chairman Renato Claver, Jericho Geroche and Joey Paz were arrested last Monday for falsification of public documents.
They were arrested by elements of Police Station 2 led by Senior Police Officer 4 Enriquito Gochoco by virtue of a warrant of arrest issued by Judge Pepito Gellada of Bacolod City Regional Trial Court Branch 53.
The barangay officials immediately posted bail. The case against them stemmed from the "Bundle of Joy" project way back in 2006.
The barangay officials, however, claimed that the filing of the case against them is a form of political harassment by candidates who lost against them in the previous barangay polls.
On the other hand, two suspected robbers were also nabbed in separate operations by the police.
The arrested suspects were identified as Joe Philip Adrino, 18, of Purok Site, Barangay Vista Alegre, Bacolod City and Aldrin Perfecto, 19, of Purok Lison, Barangay 1, Bacolod City.
Inspector Jeffrey Attunaga, chief of Police Station 2, said that Perfecto was nabbed Tuesday afternoon at Manokan Country, Barangay 12, Bacolod City by virtue of a warrant of arrest issued by Judge Shiela Mantelino-Cortes, Presiding Judge of 6th Judicial Region, Branch 3 of Kalibo, Aklan for the crime of theft. The bail for his temporary liberty was fixed at P26,000.
Adrino, meanwhile, was identified by Chief Inspector Danilo Francisco, chief of Police Station 4, as one of the notorious robbery suspects in their area of responsibility.
He said Adrino was served Tuesday morning with the arrest warrant for robbery with physical injuries issued by Bacolod City Regional Trial Court Branch 51 Judge Anita Chua who fixed the suspect's bail at P200,000.
Francisco added that, in 2009, Adrino and two of his companions robbed the Palawan Pawnshop at Homesite and injured the security guard.
Adrino is now detained at Police Station 4. (Merlinda A. Pedrosa)