Thieves caught on CCTV hunted

CAMP OLIVAS, Pampanga — The Pampanga Provincial Police Office has ordered a manhunt against the thieves who were caught on closed circuit television camera last week while victimizing the wife of a veteran columnist inside a fast food outlet in Barangay Dau, Mabalacat, Pampanga last week.

Senior Supt. Gil Lebin identified the victim as Juliet Manabat, wife of Ashley Manabat, the provincial chairman of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines.

The woman was dining at the McDonald’s branch in Barangay Dau at about 7:50 p.m. when the suspects, who were seated in a nearby table, surreptitiously took her handbag.

Her husband said that after he was informed of the incident, he immediately called the police.

However, when the police arrived, bureaucratic procedures at the fast food chain outlet prevented them access to the recording made by the CCTV camera, thus stalling pursuit operations.

The culprits remain at large. “It was a situation that needed immediate response. The recording could have enabled the police to pursue the group and pin them down immediately,” Manabat said.

“There was a group of four women and two men who were seated at the table behind her. Even before her shoulder bag vanished, she had already noticed one of the women acting suspiciously, but she ignored this.”

The victim said her handbag contained a mobile phone worth P24,000, credit cards, and
cash.

7 Pampanga towns placed on watch list

By George Trillo

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga- Although the Philippine National Police described this province as peaceful area during election periods, the provincial police office here said that it would place at least seven towns under its election watch list.

Police Director Gil Lebin Jr., provincial police chief, said the towns of Apalit, Arayat, Candaba, Mabalacat, Mexico, Porac and San Simon would be included on their election watch list following reports of alleged growing tensions between political rivals in the areas.

Lebin said the towns are not hotspots but simply are on the watch list to prevent growing tensions and possible violence.

The provincial police chief said that the towns have histories of election-related violence during previous polls.

“These towns are not hotspots. We have just included them on our watch list to closely monitor the political situations because of intense political rivalries and history of election-related incidents,” Lebin said.

Lebin said the provincial police would ensure peaceful elections and monitor all reported tensions in the province especially those on their watch list.

“We will field additional police officers in these seven towns and we will put up more checkpoints,” Lebin said.

Meanwhile, the police chief clarified that there are no reports of election violence in Pampanga amid tensions after the Commission on Elections declared that former Senior Board Member Lilia “Baby” Pineda won over Governor Eddie “Among Ed” Panlilio in the May 2007 elections.

Panlilio appeals ouster by Comelec

By George Trillo

Ousted Pampanga Gov. Eddie Panlilio Wednesday sought reconsideration of the Commission on Elections ruling nullifying his 2007 victory.

In a 30-page motion, Panlilio urged the Comelec to set aside and not immediately execute the ruling declaring his rival, Lilia Pineda, the duly elected governor of Pampanga.

While claiming that he was not surprised by the verdict of the Comelec Second Division ruling favoring Pineda, Panlilio said the decision was erroneous and must therefore be rectified.

“In its 11,685-page decision, the Second Division rejected all the ballots where the name that was clearly written, placed, entered and filled out was ‘Among’ only,” Panlilio said.

“The erroneously rejected votes, more or less 2,496, are more than enough to overturn (Pineda’s) win,” he added.

He said the 2,496 ballots were ruled as stray ballots and thus were not counted and credited to him.

Cybersex den raided; 8 girls rescued

By George Trillo

CAMP OLIVAS, Pampanga – A suspected cybersex den operator and her two employees were nabbed by operatives of the Pampanga Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Team during a raid in Sitio Camalig, Barangay Dau in Mabalacat town, police said Tuesday.

Police identified the suspects as Mitchel Abunido Aguiero, 27, alias Pops Powell, of 2-7 Plaridel ll, Barangay Amsic in Angeles City; Erica Alopo-op, 27, of Sitio Camalig; and Rommel Paragas, 24, of Sitio Abacan, Barangay Balibago in Angeles City.

Chief Insp. Randy Glenn Silivio, chief of the PCIDT, said Aguiero appeared to be the owner of the Powell Web Marketing Corporation in Dau, while Alopo-op is reportedly its human resource management officer. Paragas was introduced as a “trainer” of the firm’s cyber models.

He said the suspects did not resist when the raiding team, armed with a search warrant, raided the firm’s office where eight young female models were also rescued.

The search was witnessed by several barangay officials.

The raid stemmed from the complainant of a certain Rosalyn Nantes who revealed to the police the alleged operation of the cybersex den in Aguiero’s rented office. She said nude women pose before web cameras to entice clients, who are mostly foreigners, inside the office.

The raiders seized 30 computer sets with two servers, as well as assorted sex toys in different cubicles where cyber models allegedly perform.

Police said the rescued women are believed to have been forced to work as cyber models. They were later released to the Social Welfare and Development Office for custody and debriefing.

Aguiero pointed to a British national, Andy Martin Powell, as the alleged financier of the cybersex operations. Powell was not around during the raid.

Archbishop says Panlilio to remain a priest forever

By George Trillo

SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga– San Fernando Archbishop Paciano Aniceto said the archdiocesan tribunal is now studying the petition of Gov. Eddie Panlilio for “dispensation” from priesthood, but said Panlilio, who is seeking re-election, will remain “a priest forever.”

Aniceto said priestly vows that Panlilio took could not be dissolved even with the approval of his petition for dispensation.

“He is a priest forever and an approval of his dispensation petition would only mean he will no longer be able to practice his priestly authority on a permanent basis,” Aniceto said.

This is contrary to Panlilio’s earlier view that the permanence of dispensation has remained “debatable.”

Panlilio was parish priest of Betis in Guagua town in this province when his authority to administer sacraments was suspended after he decided to enter politics and run as independent candidate for governor in the 2007 polls.

Aniceto said while Panlilio has formally submitted a petition for dispensation, another priest, Cris Cadiang, has not filed such a petition despite his running for vice mayor of Angeles City.

Cadiang abandoned the priesthood in 2003 and later got married in civil rites. Recently, he announced his vice mayoral bid with Tony Mamac as his mayoral candidate reportedly under the Liberal Party.

In a recent visit, however, LP presidential bet Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III said the party’s national leadership has yet to decide on their bets in Angeles City.

This, amid reports that Panlilio, now the LP provincial chairman, has been reluctant to endorse Mamac as he is known as an owner of “girlie bars” in Pampanga and Tarlac.

Aniceto, however, said priests who are given dispensation from their priestly ministries are still bound to observe celibacy. “They cannot marry,” he said.

The archbishop also said it “will take time” before the archdiocesan tribunal can decide on Panlilio’s petition.

Aniceto was against Panlilio’s entry into politics in the 2007 elections.

Panlilio whose victory as an independent candidate was hailed as a “miracle,” is again pitted against Lakas-Kampi-CMD candidate Lilia Pineda who he defeated by 1,147 votes in the 2007 polls.

The Commission on Elections’ Second Division is expected to issue its ruling any time on the recount of gubernatorial votes, as petitioned by Pineda.

Cop slain in Pampanga car ambush; probe on

By George Trillo

CAMP OLIVAS, Pampanga– Car-riding armed men shot to death a policeman along Jose Abad Santos Avenue (formerly Gapan-Olongapo-San Fernando) road in Barangay San Matias, Guagua, Pampanga Monday morning.

Senior Supt. Gil Lebin Jr., Pampanga police provincial director, said Police Officer 2 Richard Rico, 32, a resident of San Nicolas, City of San Fernando and Rico, a member of Lubao Police Station was on his way home on board his Honda Civic (USS-793) when unidentified car-riding armed men overtook his car, said Lebin.

The suspects shot the victim’s car hitting him in the head and different parts of his body.
Lebin said the policeman died while being treated in a hospital.

Scene of the Crime Operatives team recovered six spent shells for a M-16 rifle at the shooting incident.

The suspects sped away toward Olongapo City after the incident.

Chief Supt. Leon Nilo de la Cruz, Central Luzon police director, ordered Lebin to further investigate the motive of the killing of Rico.